Revenge Season 4: Alternate Episode 14 Prosecution
by MothToANewFlame
Summary: As Victoria prepares to stand trial for her crimes, Emily & Daniel's relationship deepens, testing both of their loyalties. Stevie works to defend implications against David, while Jack learns more about Louise's past. Meanwhile, Margaux attempts to guilt a key witness for the prosecution into switching sides.
1. Chapter 1

**Episode 14: Prosecution**

**Chapter 1**

_**Flash Forward:**__ The doors to Suffolk County Courthouse swung open and Emily entered, dressed impeccably in all black, her hair neatly tied off of her face in a bun and shades covering her eyes. She removed her sunglasses and walked past the familiar faces of Nolan and her father in the audience, and lastly Jack who was rising to his feet in protest as she neared him. She paused only briefly to meet eyes with him, but continued forward, approaching the bailiff, who was prepared to swear her in as a witness. _

_"Raise your right hand," the bailiff commanded her, to which she complied, placing her left on the book he had extended. "Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?" _

_"I do," Emily responded with little hesitation, her eyes narrowing a bit. _

_"State your name for the prosecution, please," the bailiff continued, and nearby a stenographer leaned forward in anticipation._

_Parting her lips, Emily took a deep breath and finally announced: "Amanda Clarke." _

_A unanimous gasp was heard throughout the courthouse as already curious onlookers rose to their feet and reporters flashed cameras in the background. Judge Waters immediately slammed her gavel down, yelling "Order! Order!" Emily remained ignorant of the mayhem around her as she stepped forward and took a seat on the witness stand, holding her head high to face the rest of the courtroom… _

**TWO MONTHS AGO**

"Is it me, or does something about this just _always _feel so _right_?" Nolan reflected as he gestured to himself lifting a mixed drink from the countertop, and then to Jack, who watched from behind the bar.

"If by 'this' you mean me returning to life as a bartender, I think I'll put myself out of my misery now," Jack laughed in return, throwing a bar towel over his shoulder.

It was midday at the beach club and he was beginning his second week employed by Nolan, which he had to admit did have its perks. Not only was the pay unmatchable for the profession and the schedule basically whatever he wanted it to be, but Nolan and Louise had even gone so far as to use additional space within the club to set up a daycare, which relieved Jack immeasurably to be so close by to Carl at all times. Granted, it meant that he had to encounter Emily somewhat more often than he preferred, but since his mother's return that fact had become a moot point, seeing as how often Stevie and Emily met to discuss the details of the trial anyway. He knew at some point he would need to be involved in a deposition for when he inevitably was called to testify but in the meantime he enjoyed seeing his mother draw close to his childhood friend in their discussions, even if he couldn't bring himself to do the same. And while he didn't see eye to eye on Emily's rekindled friendship with Daniel, he respected her for being less secretive about it of late and yet still respectful enough not to force Jack's hand in support by coming to the club together. Instead, more often than not his regulars were Nolan, David, and more recently, Louise, whom Jack suspected enjoyed visiting for other reasons than just the advantage of owning the spa.

"I could always promote you to Club Manager with a corner office overlooking the beach—" Nolan suggested, with a twinkle in his eye, but Jack would not even let him finish.

"No, thanks, I already feel guilty enough about taking a handout from a friend," Jack assured him with a half-smile.

"Suit yourself," Nolan took another sip, grabbing Jack's attention.

"You're hitting that harder than usual lately. What's going on, trouble in paradise?" Jack prodded.

Nolan paused to think for a moment. "More like _Revenger's Block_," he countered. "Emily and Stevie have their hands so full with this trial that life as a sidekick has gotten, well… rather slow. No takedowns to plan, no case files to hack… not even a skanky spycam to rig?" Nolan shrugged a mix of disbelief and boredom.

"Rough times," Jack smirked, shaking his head.

"Definitely out of character for our golden girl, she's been insistent on handling this one legit," Nolan admitted, looking at Jack pensively. "Maybe your mother's been a good influence on her?"

"If so, that's nice to hear," Jack nodded in agreement, beginning to wipe down the countertop. "So what does that make you, a bad influence?"

"Hopefully not a retired sidekick," Nolan grinned. "Did they ever decide what Robin decided to do once Batman finally got the Joker?"

Jack set a bottle down firmly behind the counter and gave Nolan a knowing look. "He got married…remember?"

"Oh yeah, that," Nolan surmised, glancing at his wedding ring before shooting a peculiar look of intrigue at Jack. "Last I checked, Mrs. Ross, or should I say, Red Robin, had a thing for the cop next door…"

Jack looked up immediately catching on with a generous smile. "Don't even try it, Nolan. I already told you how awkward that makes me feel. Open relationship or not, you and Louise are _married!_"

"Uh, need I remind you that this is a marriage of convenience for the latter, and dare I say it," Nolan asserted. "Yep – let's face it - _publicity _for the former? It's literally a clause in our glorious pre-nup 'outside relationships withstanding.' Besides, I offered to do this for Louise as a favor to a friend; it would be like… if me and Em got hitched to protect her identity?" He paused to think for a moment. "Come to think of it, that would be fairly bad-ass…"

"Ok," Jack set down the bar towel, beginning a slightly annoyed dissertation. "First of all, agreements aside, that _entire_ scenario gives me the creeps and I would never want to be _that _guy—"

"Noted," Nolan inserted with an understanding tilt of his head.

"And second of all, even if Louise _was _a… possibility," he conceded, stopping to think. "I hate say it but she actually reminds me a little bit of Amanda."

"Just for clarity's sake, which Amanda are we referring to again?" Nolan questioned.

"Carl's mother," Jack answered him with a tired look. "Look it's not like I don't find her attractive, seriously who wouldn't? But she seems like she also has a lot of… damage from the past."

"Well, you're right there," Nolan confirmed, his knowledge of Louise's twisted family and own firsthand experience with her delusions coming to mind. "Although if I had to choose I'd say she has more in common with your _other _ex, Margaux, after her brief attempt at making Victoria her mother-in-law…"

"Exactly," Jack agreed with a firm look. "Just what I need, another woman in my life with some ties to Daniel Grayson. Is that a requirement for every woman in the Hamptons or something?" Jack shook his head in confusion, not quite sure whether he had fate or his own taste to blame for consistently falling for women with affiliations to the Grayson clan.

"More of a club prerequisite," Nolan quipped with a grin, then grew more serious. "But all that aside, Louise is genuinely a _good _person, Jack. Trust me… she thinks the world of you and Carl. Look I know you're still…recovering," he shifted a bit uncomfortably as Jack gave him a serious look at his reference to Emily. "But why not at least try to have a little fun? You deserve it."

Jack pondered over the wise words from his friend and had a hard time finding a reason why he couldn't at least get to know Louise better. Even if he couldn't wrap his mind around it going any further than that, he agreed his life as a single parent at times did leave much to be desired. He sighed, "Alright, I'll think about it. But you have to promise me something..."

"Anything you need," Nolan consented, happy that his friend was finally going to do something for himself.

"If I do decide to…_get to know_ her," Jack emphasized, searching for the right words while still posing the concept hypothetically. "You have to promise me that no part of it goes public. Regardless of what you say, I don't want to be known as anyone's home-wrecker…even yours."

Nolan pretended to mull it over in mock uncertainty. "Well…even though a good scandal would boost my trending right now, and being a jilted lover would do wonders for my post-David interview image…" he looked back at Jack for light acknowledgment, who was growing less patient by the minute. "Yeah, I suppose I can manage to keep my mouth shut."

Jack just shook his head and tossed the bar towel at Nolan, suppressing a laugh at his quirky sense of humor. "Thanks a lot boss," he acknowledged, walking away behind the bar as Nolan grinned and checked his phone after he departed.

Alone at the bar, Nolan scrolled down and something caught his eye. "Speaking of _trending_…" he observed, slightly relieved that Jack was not still around to notice what was popping up on social media as a hot topic.

SCENE

Upon his arrival at his old home, Daniel found Emily in a less than usual place – the courtyard where he recalled his mother used to take her morning tea before setting off to undoubtedly manipulate her catch of the day. Instead, Emily's presence set a casual but businesslike tone to the scenery, as she sat comfortably at the table with a portfolio in front of her, her hair tied back in a simple ponytail, wearing a loose sweater with one leg tucked underneath her. Daniel admired the sight of her, observing how much more she looked like a college student studying for an exam than a wealthy Hampton's socialite preparing for a trail. He found her relaxed moments comforting, a welcome change in the prim and proper girl he used to know her as, and wondered with a smile if she had only begun to embrace who she truly was or if she was simply always this way and he was just getting to see it.

"Hope I'm not interrupting," he called ahead of himself, walking through the open glass doors to greet Emily on the patio.

"Daniel, no," Emily responded, breaking her concentration only momentarily to shift the papers a little to give him some space to sit down and then refocusing again.

"You look deep in thought," Daniel observed, sitting down. "You didn't even ask how I got in."

"I assume my father let you in on his way out," Emily replied, looking up brightly before continuing writing something on the page in front of her.

"You know, I really like him," Daniel continued reflectively, glancing back in the direction of where he came. "You've gotta respect a man who's not intimidated by his daughter living down the beach from him, in a house twice the size of his own, working feverishly night and day to help defend him in court." He jeered playfully, hoping to strike her attention so she would at least banter with him.

"Well, he's certainly not intimidated by strong women," Emily shot back, stopping to smirk at him. She set down her pen to take a break. "I didn't expect to see you so soon."

Her surprise was not unfounded, as they had only just had dinner together the night before. Some weeks had passed since Victoria's arraignment, and since then she had dove headfirst into working on the trial with Stevie: confirming who would be their key witnesses, how they would approach Margaux's angle for the defense, and most importantly how to carefully prepare David's testimony to be ready for any twists and turns. He had continued to maintain his charade of support for Victoria and in turn was able to surface key factors in what the prosecution could expect and use to their advantage. Throughout all of this, she had found his friendship to be a welcome reprieve after a long day of working on the trial. In shocking parallel to their relationship years ago, Emily enjoyed the fact that Daniel was voluntarily not a part of the trial proceedings, his choice to remove himself from it all being one he stood by. She could come home and talk to him on the phone, or on some occasions in person, and while Daniel had no particular desire to see his mother hurt, he would not deny the fact that any repercussions she endured were her doing. Rather than discuss the raw details, they discussed his life more – his efforts at finding work and at getting Margaux to allow him to be involved with their unborn child, which for the time was still unsuccessful. But despite how depressing his situation could allow him to become, having Emily to talk to somehow always helped him stay positive. And in turn, Emily was also getting more used to his presence and their regular conversations. Progressively, their comfort had resulted in them joining each other for dinner, the night before being the first occasion for them to do so publicly.

"I wanted to make sure you weren't going into hiding after last night," Daniel admitted openly. "I know you have a tendency to retreat when you suddenly find yourself in the public eye."

Emily thought momentarily to place his reference. "If you're referring to our outing making it into the press, I haven't had a chance to check social media," she deflected calmly, glancing down at her stack of papers as reason. "But I'm sure it wouldn't hurt for your clients to hear about it."

Daniel raised his eyebrows. "Is that why you said yes to going? To help me out?"

"No, not at all," Emily replied honestly, staring at Daniel with a defensive look. "I said yes because you asked me. And I needed to get out," she added, closing the portfolio in front of her, symbolically showing that she was perhaps too engrossed in the trial.

Daniel smiled at her, eternally relishing moments like these when she just came out and answered him truthfully, albeit bluntly. Even though the topic wasn't much, it still ignited a fire in him. "That's good to know," he nodded calmly, looking into her eyes.

"So," she diverted, looking down at the leather bound pad in his hands. "Any good leads?"

Daniel followed her glance and shook his head rather sheepishly. "Not exactly…" he began, and looked back at her again for confirmation before he continued. "I've-uh… I've been thinking about changing professions actually."

"Really?" Emily tilted her head, surprised. "Last night you said you were knee deep in medical bills and needed a break just to get by… what changed?"

"I did a lot of thinking when I got home… and I decided I don't need to have the same lifestyle I'm used to having to be successful. I mean success is measured by your own happiness, right? Well there's nothing in that hotel room or about what I do right now that makes me happy. I can't teach my son to follow in my footsteps until I start living it."

Emily nodded slowly, listening closely to every word he said. His words were more than moving, they were evidence of his evolution before her eyes. Not wanting to break his stride of turning a new leaf she offered, "So tell me… what makes you happy?"

Daniel thought for a moment about how to respond, and again his mind fell temporarily to distraction as he keyed in on the genuine kindness in Emily's brown eyes, the sweetness that had returned to her voice, and the strength she exuded by her posture – attentive, strong, and brave. But he could not let that detract him; he had to be honest with what was inside himself, even if in some form, Emily always seemed to play a hand in driving his motivation.

"Honestly…writing," Daniel admitted. "I know it sounds crazy but… when I would write poetry years ago, it was the only thing that made me feel at peace. And I really enjoyed it." He leaned forward and set his pad on the table and it all seemed to make sense.

"It doesn't sound crazy," Emily reassured him, a smile forming on her lips. "Actually… what you said about success being measured by your own happiness is very true. In fact, it reminds me of someone. Someone I cared about very much."

Daniel laughed through his nose, in realization. "What – the 'old' me?" He thought again and then added, "Or the 'old' you?"

Emily laughed openly, confirming he was wrong. "Neither… anyway I think it's a great idea. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Actually," Daniel's eyes fell on the house behind them. "There is something. This may be a little forward, but I was wondering if I could do some of my writing here?"

"Here?" Emily cocked an eyebrow.

"Before the _current _owner took over," Daniel continued, managing to slip in a little jab. "A long time ago this used to be a great location for me to write. And considering my first work is most likely going to be my memoirs… I can't imagine a better place to reflect." He waited for her to decline, knowing he was assuming a lot by even asking.

But Emily did not snap in disagreement, nor did she question him on just how much presence she could expect to have in the life story he planned to write. Instead she only peered deeply into his eyes, as if visually settling any indecision within herself so she could agree. She finally pressed her lips together in a turned down motion and replied, "I think it's a great idea."

Daniel grinned in appreciation. "Thanks, Em," he acknowledged. "I promise I won't be at your door bothering you every day." He looked down at the work scattered on the table before her and felt like he should show consideration for her gesture by letting her finish, and rose to his feet to leave.

"Oh I guarantee you won't," Emily added, as she stood and began to follow him out. "Because you're going to be staying here," she added, causing Daniel to stop in his tracks just short of the glass doors and face her.

"What?" he asked, incredulous. "Em, you don't have to—"

"Not permanently," she interrupted him, clearing the air. "But until you're able to get yourself back on your feet. You can't afford that luxury suite on a working writer's salary and you're going to need a stable residence if you end up going to family court with Margaux."

Daniel glanced away with a sigh, knowing once again that she was right, and partially not looking forward to what seemed like an imminent fight with Margaux over custody of his son once he was born. He looked back at her with a hint of sarcasm. "You call this _stable_?" he looked around at where they stood. "Isn't this the same spot where I got shot?"

Emily folded her arms with a smirk. "Look at that—as sharp as you are you should be done with those memoirs in no time." Daniel rolled his eyes with a lopsided grin and Emily stood her ground, poising her offer. "Take it or leave it?"

He conceded, knowing he had planned to anyway, but could not resist testing out how serious Emily could be. "Alright. I'll take it."

"Good," she replied, giving him a firm tap on the shoulder before returning to her seat at the table on the patio. "You can have your old room back."

"Oh, nice," Daniel sighed, shaking his head as he watched her walk away. He did a good job of remaining respectfully aloof when they spoke to each other, but one thing was for certain – the new friendship he had made with Emily had already surpassed what they had so many years ago. And despite her insistence on being guarded and protective, she was slowly opening up to him – and it was becoming an addictive habit.

"Hey, Em," he called out, stopping himself from finally walking through the door and seeing himself out. She turned just enough over her shoulder for him to see she'd heard him. "Who were you talking about before? That it reminded you of?"

Emily paused to think, recalling her initial reaction when Daniel coined the mantra that 'success is defined by your own happiness'. She smiled a bit and decided to give him a response, to which Daniel instantly turned up his face in confusion and then acceptance that no matter how much he thought he knew Emily, there were always more secrets lurking inside of her.

"Takeda."

END OF CHAPTER

**Author's Note: Welcome to the latest installment in my 'alternate' season in Revenge! If you're a first time reader, please go check out my other 'episodes' – Acceptance, Clarity, and Rekindling which fill in the gaps and set this episode up for what I envision is a more satisfying continuance of the series and reignites the Daniel/Emily relationship! Please leave your thoughts and comments below – what did you like? What else would you like to see? Are you excited about the Flash Forward?**

**For returning readers, thank you again for your amazing support and I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! I am loving the chance at continuing a strong bond between our Demily pair, as well as starting up a few other pairings that I think have a lot of potential. This episode is going to have its own mixture of drama, both in and outside of the courtroom, but your reviews and comments is what inspires me to keep writing it! Thank you for feedback and please let me know if you enjoyed and are looking forward to more. Hoping to post new chapter very soon! Much love &amp; Reven8e ~ MothToANewFlame**


	2. Chapter 2

**Episode 14 "Prosecution"**

**Chapter 2**

"Thank you for taking out the time to meet today," Margaux greeted David as he entered the conference room where she sat at table full of defense litigators. They were at Suffolk County Courthouse, utilizing one of the private conference rooms for deposition of witnesses. David had arrived on time to discuss his testimony for the defense, and came appropriately dressed although bearing nothing in his possession, still advocating the idea that he did not need to read from a narrative in order to merely tell the truth.

However, Margaux was ever the skeptic, and having previous knowledge of some of David's secrets afforded to her in confidence by Victoria, she wanted to proceed cautiously. She was fully aware that following David's reunion with Emily his loyalties were uncertain, and despite the insistence to Victoria assured her that David was there to help her, Margaux relied on her own conclusions before she could completely be on board.

David nodded, taking his seat and folded his hands in front of him, as a legal recorder positioned a microphone nearby.

"Off the record," Margaux began, before the microphone could be switched on. "I would like to begin by informing you that any information discussed today _will _be used in conjunction with your public testimony during the trial. So please be certain that you recall exactly what you remember and keep consistent."

David managed one of his secretive grins. "You're worried I'm going to recant once I get on the stand."

"We have to anticipate every possibility, Mr. Clarke," Margaux retorted, emphasizing the word 'every'. "Including a sudden change of memory, perhaps?"

David sniffed in mock disgust. "There's nothing I have to say here that I wouldn't say again under oath."

"Please continue to keep that in mind," Margaux advised him sternly with a glare. She turned to her first page of questioning and gestured that they would begin. The court recorder began taking note while Margaux's legal team listened intently.

"David Clarke," Margaux addressed him, intensifying her concentration. "We would like to begin by discussing your relationship with the defendant, Victoria Grayson."

David took a breath and answered cautiously. "Victoria and I met years ago when I began working for Grayson Global. We became lovers… and she gave birth to our daughter, Charlotte while I was…incarcerated." He paused to look down. "After my escape and exoneration earlier this year, she and I have since… resumed our relationship."

Margaux nodded, squinting up her eyes a bit at the noticeable gaps in his story but glossed over it for the purpose of her next statement. "And how did you both come to be in company of Malcolm Black's crime organization the night of the warehouse raid?"

"Malcolm Black was the arms dealer that smuggled me out of prison and held me hostage to work for him for years. When I escaped, he came after me… he kidnapped both me and Victoria and threatened us with torture… the death of our friends...he tormented us." David struggled not to show true signs of pain in his face and the onlookers from Margaux's legal team observed.

"I see." Margaux continued, making a brief note. "What happened next?"

"Malcolm didn't make idle threats," David continued, a serious look on his face. "He tracked down my son-in-law, Jack Porter, and kidnapped him as well, threatening his life…but Jack was able to escape." David gave his first pause since he had begun speaking, and immediately Margaux's suspicion was sparked.

"How so?" she inquired.

David took his time responding again, and Margaux's suspicion began to arise. "When Officer Hunter and… Emily…arrived, it provided a distraction. Jack was able to break free and wrestle Malcolm to the ground. I was hit with one shot in the process."

Margaux nodded, eyeing her own copy of a police report that detailed his injuries. She was curious how other details would corroborate. "Where was Victoria during this time?" she asked.

"A few feet away, still bound up. She wasn't released until Jack was able to neutralize Malcolm as a threat. They continued to fight until Malcolm tried to force him into the furnace – Jack gained the upper hand and pushed him back in self-defense. After that, he untied Victoria," David answered, recalling the slightly altered story he had rehearsed.

"So allow me to clarify," Margaux inserted, shifting in her seat. "Jack was able to break free from his restraint, intervene in Malcolm's attack, _kill _him in self-defense, and then set Victoria free… without help from anyone else?"

David caught Margaux's cunning eye and realized she was leading towards additional information on Emily, confirming that her intent behind taking the case was not only to defend Victoria but to implicate his daughter in the process. "That's correct," he replied, a bit gruff. "My son-in-law is a hero – even the Mayor acknowledged that. I believe you were at the ceremony honoring him?"

Margaux absorbed his redirection and continued on. "Alright," she prodded. "What happened once Victoria was free?"

"Officer Hunter approached with his gun drawn. I thought he was still on guard from the ordeal with Malcolm, but as he got closer I realized… he had other intentions," David looked down.

"Like what exactly?"

"He was going on about Captain Alvarez… how he'd found his body, and thought I had something to do with it. He was unstable… Jack tried to get him to calm down but he wouldn't listen. Emily tried to do the same and he turned his gun on both of them. That's when I realized, he wasn't trying to arrest us – he was aiming to kill."

Margaux was finally starting to see the shape of David's story and while she sensed a sea of lies, she had to admit that it corroborated with what Victoria had explained to her. She had one last detail to verify. "And that's when Victoria fired?" she inquired, leading him.

David nodded, clasping his hands again. "Jack still had Malcolm's gun tucked into his belt, but Victoria was right behind him. As soon as her son, Daniel entered, she saw the opportunity to save us – she fired three shots right into Officer Hunter… out of defense."

Margaux set her glance firmly on David, trying to read his expression to no avail. She finally shut the portfolio in front of her. "Mr. Clarke, you realize that by your testimony you are implicating Officer Hunter exceeded his jurisdiction as a law official and held both yourself, Ms. Thorne and a fellow officer hostage at gunpoint. Do you understand the gravity of these accusations?"

"I do," David confirmed, allowing his lip to curl up slightly in a demure smile. "This would not be the first time I witnessed someone in a powerful position try to abuse their authority."

Margaux only stared back in response, noting how strong his argument worked in his favor. She looked to her side at the team of legal assistants beside her who were also nodding in agreement. Realizing that his testimony could only assist in the case she was building for Victoria, she knew she had to proceed, yet the seeds of doubt had already been firmly planted.

"That's all for today, Mr. Clarke," Margaux conceded, releasing him. "Thank you for your assistance, we will be in contact with you if we have any questions before you are called to the stand."

David bowed slightly in appreciation and then rose from the table to leave. Before he was completely out of the door he paused and looked back to make one final statement to Margaux's intrigue. "I appreciate you allowing me to testify, Ms. LeMarchal. I'm looking forward to finally seeing justice served… as I'm sure you are." He attempted a complacent smile, which Margaux read more as a sneer, but she could only nod her head in acceptance before he left, leaving her wondering just what exactly she had gotten herself into by pledging her loyalty to Victoria.

SCENE

As Emily ended the phone conversation with her father, she felt a familiar sense of control again, relieved that he had followed the plan exactly, telling the story in favor of Victoria's defense. While it was of course disturbing to concoct something that painted Victoria as a hero, she knew the only way to infiltrate Margaux's warpath against her was to gain her trust. Nothing was final until David took the stand and even if Margaux's legal team tried to hold him to statements in deposition, they would have the opportunity to draw first blood as long as the jury could hear a different version of events. She made her way down the steps at the Manor, preparing to head out and begin the day's tasks, replaying her agenda in her head for what was next – they would need to relay David's side of the story to Jack so that he could match the same information in his own version. Fortunately, David could handle that alone and would save Emily from having to get involved just yet, as she still did not know where she stood with Jack after their last few shaky encounters.

Once she reached the bottom of the steps, she was reminded of the reason why, as Daniel sat in the redesigned living room, leaning forward on the couch hovering over his outspread journal on the table, tapping his pen absent mindedly. Emily smirked, both surprised and partly delighted at seeing him diving back into his roots, following through on his commitment to do what made him happy.

"Don't tell me you're hitting a wall already?" Emily greeted him, as she passed the couch, making her way over to the kitchen counter to fix herself a cup of coffee. Behind her, Daniel ran his fingers through his hair, confirming she was right about his frustration.

"You'd think with the crazy year I've had it would be easier," he responded, pausing to massage his head a little. "Somehow I just can't find the words to describe it all… it's too much at once."

Emily nodded in understanding, her back still to Daniel. "I know what you mean," she sympathized, pausing to reflect on her whirlwind of a year as well.

"So far the easiest thing for me to write has just been questions," Daniel continued, and Emily turned around to join him on the couch, bringing a cup of coffee for him along with her own and setting it down in front of him on the table. While he thanked her and took a sip, she peered over at what he had written.

"_Will the pain ever heal? Will the numb yet feel? Sacrifice for sins and atonement for amends. Will it never end…?"_ Emily read from his book, slowing down towards the last part to process what Daniel could be referring to. He allowed her the brief reading and then closed the book to stop her.

"Hey," he interrupted, a bit sheepishly. "It's not finished."

Emily shook her head, sipping at her own cup. "It's pretty close to home," she remarked, conscious that the topics could apply in a few ways to Daniel's life, but after looking at him again she sensed he was hoping she wouldn't offer help.

Daniel agreed, and as usual redirected towards Emily. "I'm sure taking down people who have ruined your life feels like a cycle that never ends, doesn't it?" He looked over at her on the couch next to him, his expression genuine.

"Sometimes," Emily shrugged. "But it can be satisfying when you're able to protect the innocent."

Daniel wrinkled his brow. "That's interesting. I thought your line of business was more about seeing justice for the guilty?"

Emily tilted her ahead, slightly defensive. "Daniel, I'm not a prosecutor. I admit yes, there were quite a few people in the past who I came after because of the horrible things they've done, but there were also some who _endured _horrible things that I tried to help."

"Really?" Daniel's intrigue grew by the second. He pursued something lingering in his head since their last conversation. "Like Takeda?" he asked.

Emily smiled to herself, and grew a bit nostalgic over her fallen mentor. She sipped at her cup again, buying some time before she responded and finally shook her head while setting her cup down. "No, Takeda was quite the opposite actually. He helped _me_."

"You?" Daniel was confused.

Emily took a breath before sharing more about her past. "Before Takeda became your client, he was my mentor. After my father died – or so I thought – he left me his name as a contact. I went to Japan to find him. I had just gotten out of juvey and found out the truth that the father I was persuaded to hate was actually innocent. I felt guilty, helpless. Takeda took me in and trained me to use that pain for good."

Daniel listened intently, hoping his silence would spur her on to keep telling her story.

"I trained with him until he felt I was ready to face the people that were responsible for my father's fate. When I returned, I vowed that it would be my mission to seek justice for him," Emily finished, wary of going too much further. Just as well, Daniel would already be shocked at her previous mentorship with his old client.

"So that's how you were able to close the deal with him," Daniel realized, recalling his first meeting with Takeda when Emily translated for him. He laughed and sniffed through his nose at the same time. "Now it all makes sense…I knew I didn't land him as a client on my own…never was very good at that."

Emily felt a tugging to reassure him, knowing that as she shared the truth, parts of his past would begin to somewhat unravel. "The only reason that Takeda even came here is because I had started to lose focus. He was checking up on me – he feared I wouldn't be able to fulfill my mission."

This time Daniel managed a full laugh. "You? Not fulfill your mission? He must not have known you very well." Emily rolled her eyes and Daniel continued. "What made him think you'd lost focus?"

Emily swallowed, a bit protective over whether she should share the details with him. She looked into his eyes again and realized she owed him at least that. "Truthfully? He saw how close I had gotten to you."

Her admission gave them both pause, and for a moment it became clear to Daniel that Emily was in fact telling the truth when he had questioned her some time ago about what they had being real. Clearly it was something she knew deep inside but had tried to hide in favor of her mission to clear her father's name. And while he understood her pain, part of him could not grasp how she could forego her life, a _real _life, to focus only on an endless journey of revenge.

"So you gave it up?" Daniel replied quietly, referring partly to his own thoughts regarding her life and partly to their own relationship.

Emily only looked at Daniel in acknowledgment and it was clear to him what her answer was. As he nodded to himself and looked away, she responded. "None of the choices I've made have been easy, Daniel. And I've paid for them—"

"Yeah, we've all paid for them," Daniel inserted, growing bitter.

Emily stopped short at his comment. She bit her lip and nodded smugly. "You're right. I never intended for anyone else to suffer… least of all, you. I nearly paid for that choice with my life. Instead, I sacrificed ever having a family of my own." She got up from the couch and immediately Daniel was filled with remorse, realizing his momentary lapse of selfishness was no excuse to expose her wounds, especially the ones he had inflicted.

"Emily, wait," he rose to his feet after her, but she brushed it off, far removed from the initial sting of the reality. "I'm sorry—"

"Daniel, I've accepted the consequences of my choices," she countered him, turning around to face him. "I'm long past that now. But just because I gave up things for this path doesn't mean that I don't miss the life I could have had—"

"Ems, I know," he interrupted her, desperately repentant. He took hold of her hand. "I shouldn't have said that, I just… I just want to find a way to put things right."

Emily shook her head, forgetting how simple Daniel could be by nature at times. "Things will never be the way they used to, Daniel. You know that. But you don't owe me anything else. You already gave me a chance to get to know my father in this life by saving me. You owe your son the same – the chance to know his father too. That's what you should fight for."

Daniel sighed at how easily Emily was able to define him and looked at his barely touched journal; unsure of how he was going to accomplish all she said when his mind seemed to be void of all creativity. "How am I supposed to support him when I can barely do the one thing that used to make me happy?"

"You'll figure it out," she said dryly, and then softened her tone as she glanced around, a thought coming to mind. "In the meantime, you can take a page out of my book. I'm putting this place on the market."

"Wow. I guess that ends our agreement," Daniel shrunk in defeat, sitting back down on the couch and reopening his book.

"Not exactly," Emily continued, reaching over Daniel to take hold of the briefcase she used for the trial. "I want you to handle the sale." Daniel's eyes narrowed and she went on to explain. "Find someone truly deserving, who's endured a life they shouldn't have – perhaps someone who has been unjustly dealt with and warrants a second chance?"

"Easier said than done in this town," Daniel quipped to which Emily shrugged.

"Then it'll give you plenty of time to sort out what you want to write," she resolved. "And once you find the right person, who better than you to show them the house and make peace with your past before you leave?" She began walking towards the front door.

Daniel nodded, slowly coming to see her suggestion as a good idea. "Seeking justice for the downtrodden…I think I can handle that. So are we working together now?" he asked.

Emily gave one glance back over her shoulder before she exited to answer him. "For now," she digressed with a half-smile, and went about her way.

Daniel was left behind to mull over both her proposition and the feelings that stirred in him as he got to learn more about what made her who she was. Content for the moment, he felt a sudden surge of inertia to begin writing down the things they discussed, if only to help him fill in the gaps that he had often wondered about. He began writing in the back section of his journal and found himself including each specific detail, just so he would not forget.

Meanwhile, as Emily set out for the day, her mind continued in thought over their exchange. Despite the somewhat sensitive discussion, it was still clear to her that Daniel had changed and merely needed opportunities to reach his potential. She had already determined within herself almost a year ago not to lament her losses time over and again, but to brave on, always staying occupied with her mission. And while she hoped this would prove to be her last, her father's return had given her hope that getting to know him could occupy the rest of her life, should her quest for revenge ever come to its end. That's why she could find it in her to forgive Daniel so readily for the pain he had inflicted on her, seeing as how he did in fact atone for it by nearly sacrificing himself and giving her the opportunity for her to even know her father better. Regretfully, she admitted to herself as she closed the door to the Manor behind her, if her and David's plans were successful, Daniel would never quite get the chance to do the same with Victoria. But as they had discussed, that was just another casualty of her choices that he would have to accept.

END OF CHAPTER


	3. Chapter 3

**Episode 14 "Prosecution"**

**Chapter 3**

"David, come in," Stevie greeted, as David arrived at the front door to Jack's house. It was one of her rare afternoons spending time with Carl, a welcome break from the work she had been putting into preparing for the trial. "Jack should be home from the club soon."

"Thank you," David smiled her way as he entered the living area, and came to sit down on the floor besides his would-be grandson. Despite knowing the truth, he still loved Carl immensely and would always feel like Jack and his family was also family to him. Stevie joined him, taking a seat to watch them both together on the couch and she was glad to have some casual time to chat before discussing the inevitable updates from his deposition.

"He gets bigger every day," David commented, helping Carl stack some blocks scattered in front of him.

Stevie agreed with a broad smile. "It's become a reminder to me of how long I'd been gone," she remarked, feeling a bit sorry for missing out on watching her grandson grow. "But I'm thankful to be back."

"I trust you and Amanda are making headway?" David asked after a few moments of continuing to play with Carl, and Stevie was not certain whether he meant with the trial or just overall in their newfound relationship following him divulging her true identity.

"She's very much like you, David," she replied with a nod. "Determined…incredibly smart. Honestly working on this case together feels a bit like a second chance – to be able to help you the way I wanted to so many years ago…when I was, unfortunately, at my lowest." Stevie looked down a bit into her lap but continued to keep her composure, looking on at David and Carl.

David looked up, ready to dissuade any signs of guilt she still retained. "Don't be silly, you did everything you could," he insisted. "And you're right – Amanda is a lot like me. Including stubborn, at times…"

"So she convinced you to keep to the story she rehearsed?" Stevie asked, certain now that David spoke from recent correspondence with his oldest child regarding their next move.

David nodded his head quickly in confirmation and turned his attention more readily to Stevie to answer. "I gave my statements to the defense earlier today. I kept to what we discussed, word for word," he grew serious, as if showing reverence for her. "I know this must be hard for you to fathom, considering the amount of accountability it appears to put on Jack. But I promise you – we won't let Margaux go after him. It won't come to that."

Stevie believed him without hesitation, finding comfort in previous discussions she held with Emily on what was the best way to approach the situation without giving Margaux a loophole to capitalize on. "It's clear that you've done your homework on how to earn the trust of the defense. And it wouldn't be the first time a witness recanted while the next told a different story," she assured him. "However, I am concerned with how Margaux will react once it's all said and done?"

"She'll be forced to accept the court's ruling," David responded quickly, but Stevie was still tentative. She tilted her head in reflection, mulling over her reserves.

"This Margaux is a far cry from the girl I knew last year," Stevie continued, outlining her reasons for uncertainty. "And from what I've seen so far, she's willing to go to any level to defend Victoria. There's a good chance she won't let this go without using whatever ammunition she has left."

"I'm prepared for that," David continued to assure her. He looked down at his hands, as if imagining a different future for them at some point, implying a potential return to confinement. "That's what I came here to discuss with Jack. When it comes time for him to take the stand after me, I want him to set the record straight without hesitation. If that means the world has to know the truth about the motive for Victoria's actions – so be it."

Stevie finally opened up; sensing David might not reconsider any other way. "David, I know Victoria was protecting you, and the secret you're keeping. And while I may not agree with what you did… I'd be lying if I said I didn't understand it."

David met eyes with her, realizing she knew that he was responsible for Conrad's death. He couldn't blame Emily for sharing that information – after all he had revealed her identity to Stevie in the first place. He knew his daughter was only doing the utmost to protect him in the end. His expression intensified as Stevie continued on.

"I'm going to do everything I can to make sure that doesn't become a topic for discussion. After all, Victoria is the one being tried here, not you. But, the truth is," Stevie took a breath, doing what she knew was her job in this profession. "If Jack's testimony reveals your own motives for wanting Officer Hunter silenced – there's not much we can do to stop Victoria from using your sins against you."

David finally conceded, accepting her warning. While he felt the design they had was foolproof he could not deny that it did have its dangers if all did not go according to plan. Yet he knew that talking at length with Jack in advance would be the first step towards covering all bases. He paused to imagine how nerve-wracking that could be for Stevie to have to cautiously question her own son on the stand with the knowledge than he risked perjuring himself or implicating the ones he cared about if he was not careful.

After taking a moment to consider, David replied. "I can't imagine how hard it must be to put your son in that kind of position," his expression softened, sympathetically. "You have to trust me though – I won't let any harm come to Jack." As memories flooded back to mind, he felt inclined to share. "You know years ago, when he and Amanda were little, I remember watching them play together, so happy, so free… like they'd known each other forever."

Stevie smiled in response, a haze coming over her face as she looked away; trying to imagine the years she desperately wished she could have been there for.

"I remember knowing then, that if something ever happened to Jack's family – I would take him in without even a thought. He was already like a son to me," David paused to draw Stevie's attention back to him. "I still feel the same way. I've been given a second chance to be in his life and that of my daughter's… and I won't let that slip away again."

Stevie nodded, completely understanding and agreed. "Me either," she confirmed. "We've both been given that chance to be a part of our children's lives… I guess we share a lot in common." Stevie began to well up a bit with emotion, suddenly feeling incredibly grateful and David instinctively placed a hand on her shoulder to comfort her, to which she did not budge. It had been a long time since a man her age had shown her genuine kindness, and how poetic that it would be one that had a major influence on her son.

The timing of the similarity was spot on, as not a moment later Jack walked through the door. "Hey," he called out, mildly aware that he seemed to have interrupted a tender moment between them. He was distracted quickly by his son running over to him and after scooping him up happily in his arms he finally made his way over to where David and Stevie had separated from each other.

"So, how did everything go?" he asked, prompting them to both to fill him in on the latest. While they omitted their candid reflection only a few minutes prior, it was clear to Jack that he might not be the only one growing closer to a person he could have never imagined he would see, much less be in company with this time last year.

SCENE

"So describe again what happened, was it an almost kiss… or more of a friendly pat?" Nolan grilled Jack across from their table in VIP, with Louise perched next to him.

They were all dressed to impress, Louise in an elegant sundress while both men wore crisp blazers, easily giving off the aura of high school lunchtime gossip at the "cool kids" table. It seemed like the Beach Club "August Rush" event had crept up on them so soon and despite it serving as a declaration of the middle of summer, it also doubled as a reminder that the first round of testimony in Victoria Grayson's trial was scheduled to occur the following day. A few weeks had passed since Jack had finalized the details with David of his testimony for when he was called to the stand, yet during the diversion Jack had not forgotten a few occasions that his mother and David had seemed otherwise engaged when he returned home. Since it was his night off and he was already a few drinks in, he decided he would open up to his gossip hungry cronies about the romance he suspected was in the works between his mother and Emily's father.

"I'm not exactly sure what it was…but I think it's safe to say there's something going on between them," Jack answered, taking a sip of his tall glass.

"Aww," Louise cooed in response. "I just love seeing sparks fly between grown folk, it's _so_ romantic!" She clapped her hands together, excited and then playfully poked Jack as an idea struck her. "Imagine, sugar – you and Emily might end up being brother and sister!"

"Thrilling," Jack lamented, heavy with sarcasm. "One big happy family…"

Nolan observed and quickly motioned to change the tone. "Ah – sorry to call dibs, but when it comes to Ems, the big bro vibe is reserved for yours truly," he raised a glass in Louise's direction, trying to deflect from any leftover bitterness Jack was nursing at the mention of Emily. Just then Nolan's phone alert sounded and he added with irony, "Speak of the she-devil, and she appears – Evening, Lady Justice!" He raised the phone to his ear and stepped away to take the call, leaving Jack alone at the table with Louise.

"Honey, you don't have to try to play tough with me," Louise insisted once he was gone, rubbing the top of Jack's arm enfolded on top of the other on the table. "I can sense when an old flame is taking a long time to die out."

Jack looked at her in mild surprise, unaware that she might be filled in on his past. "Is it that obvious?"

"Oh no, I just have a sixth sense about these things," Louise assured him, and then grew nostalgic. "I remember my first love; ugh… knew him since I was 10, he was as stubborn as an ox, goodness he could make a preacher cuss!" Jack laughed, finding her candid simplicity refreshing, and Louise continued. "But lord, for all his rough edges he was softer than apple butter on the inside. A real charmer…I thought I would never move on from a simple country boy, but lo and behold, here I am!" She raised her glass, gesturing to herself.

"Married to a multi-millionaire tech genius," Jack continued for her, as she laughed lightly in response, glancing over her shoulder at Nolan over on the beach club balcony, still on his phone call with Emily.

"All as a last-ditch effort to emancipate myself from my God-forsaken family," she completed the description, shaking her head and fidgeting with the stem of her glass. "The things we do to get away from our past…"

Jack became intrigued with Louise's backstory and suddenly wondered how he hadn't seen their similarities sooner. "Is your family that bad?" he asked genuinely.

"Ugh, are they," Louise began. "My mama's stuck up higher than a light-pole, and my brother Lyman? Well he's about the biggest liar you'll ever meet. That man talks with his tongue out of his shoe," she added with an apologetic smile and Jack laughed through his nose at her way of putting things. "Thank goodness for Nolan though – if he hadn't 'a came up with the idea to save my fortune by getting married, I'd be penniless and they'd both be off wasting away my inheritance by now…"

Louise seemed to relax a bit, reflecting on her current situation and Jack found himself feeling pity for her, wishing he hadn't made a snap judgment on her being like Amanda when Nolan first tried to explain to him how much she needed a friend. "So you think they gave up trying?" he asked, hopeful.

"Here's hopin'," Louise nodded uncertainly, raising her glass as Nolan returned.

"It wouldn't be a Hamptons Party without a little interruption from the Em Reaper," Nolan rebuffed, taking a last swig of his drink without sitting down. He looked over to address Louise directly. "Sorry to dip out on the party but business calls. Last minute details before the trial tomorrow."

"Oh, that's alright," Louise shrugged it off, understanding. "I've been talking Jack's ear off over here. Can't help it, he's a great listener."

"That he _is,_" Nolan confirmed with a twinkle in his eye. "And also the best friend _ever _if he doesn't mind keeping you company for the remainder of the eve?" He looked over at Jack with a pleading expression.

While Jack knew Nolan had more up his sleeve he fully understood the immediate beckons from Emily as the pending trial was set to put David on the stand the next day. "Sure, no problem," he conceded and Nolan made a 'thank-you' gesture before tapping Louise on the chin to say goodbye. "Enjoy!" he called out, making a swift exit.

There was a slightly awkward moment once he left, somewhat a realization to both Jack and Louise that they seemed to be now on a date, and Louise broke up the silence. "Gosh, it's hotter than blue blazes in here!" she stammered, loosely pulling at the bust line of her sundress to fan herself.

Jack agreed, adding, "Think we may have had a few too many of these," he gestured to their glasses. He looked around at the crowd that was filling in the club and peeked outside at the balcony stairwell that led down to the shore. "Want to walk it off on the beach?" he suggested.

"Oh, I'd love that," Louise sighed in relief, and quickly removed her heels before toting them in hand. She slipped a comfortable arm through his, and he smiled tentatively before leading her out of the club.

SCENE

Emily peered over Nolan's shoulder in her office den, watching the computer screen intently as Nolan scrolled through high security surveillance records from the Suffolk County prison footage. Thankfully he had left the Beach Club mid-summer event to come to her aid when she called, as his prowess was always priceless in the face of looking for digital evidence.

"There," she pointed, identifying the image she was looking for.

"Margaux's visit to Victoria?" Nolan observed, looking at the date stamp on the footage. "This is over a month ago."

"That's about right," Emily confirmed. "It would have been just before the arraignment."

"Ems, what are you getting at?" Nolan implored, growing a bit impatient.

"Does this have audio?" Emily asked, and Nolan complied, turning the sound up a notch. They both leaned forward to listen as the playback detailed pieces of Margaux and Victoria's conversation.

_"…the true reason that Ben wanted to arrest David… is because Malcolm revealed that David was responsible for Conrad's death."_

"What the—" Nolan reacted in surprise, while Emily held her steely composure, pausing the audio.

"Just like I thought," she digressed, a bit angrily. "Margaux knows that my father murdered Conrad."

"I don't understand," Nolan countered, recalling their previous discussions that they had with David as they prepared rigorously for the trial. "David said when he visited Victoria that she admitted the _only_ thing she revealed to Margaux was your true identity – nothing else? Why would he lie about that?"

Emily shook her head, realizing. "He didn't. Victoria did." She looked over at Nolan who still seemed confused about the entire ordeal, and prepared to explain. "Before my father visited Victoria to gain her trusts he was already feeling guilty about killing Conrad. He wanted to reveal the truth and take accountability for what he did, but I insisted he stick to our plan and focus on taking down Victoria instead. If she had been honest when he went to visit him that Margaux knew the truth he would've gave up then and there. But she assured him she was still holding onto his secret."

"And he trusted her," Nolan relented in disbelief. "I guess… he still has a weakness for that?"

Emily ignored the implication and continued to break down her assessment, looking off. "I had a feeling that she might be lying but I wanted to wait until his deposition to see how Margaux played her cards. When he filled me in on it, not once did he mention her questioning Ben's motives for arresting my father. He volunteered information to her on it being centered around Captain Alvarez' death but nothing else ever came up." She returned her focus to Nolan beside her. "That's sloppy for a defense lawyer, even an unexperienced one like Margaux."

Nolan began to put the last pieces together. "So you suspected she already knew and was just sitting on the intel?"

"I couldn't be sure, but I had to find out before my father testifies tomorrow," Emily verified, moving away from the desk. "Margaux has that in her back pocket – if he tries to recant his story on the stand she's going to implicate him."

"Whoa," Nolan sighed, allowing the reality of their situation to sink in. "Catch 22… or should I say, 88. So what do we do now?" Conscious of the hour, he couldn't think of much option they had to alter the plan.

Emily folded her arms in resolution. "He's going to have to stick to his story," she determined, a bit uneasily. "And so will Jack. If either of them changes their account in the slightest, she'll go after them both, and she'll corner them into what she already knows."

Nolan bit his bottom lip in frustration. "Clever play, Mar-_faux_," he quipped, realizing they were essentially cornered. "She saw the fake alliance between David and Victoria coming and got ahead of us."

"She hasn't won yet," Emily sneered, her mind churning as usual. It seemed threats to her best laid plans always spurred on additional creativity in her, and she worked best under pressure. "We're just going to have to find another way."

"How—" Nolan began and heard movement in the upstairs, spurring him to cut his thought short. "Uh – do you have company, Ems? And please, for the love of God, tell me it's not another sorry torture victim, you've been doing _so _well…"

Emily rolled her eyes and leaned forward to close out of the computer screen at the sound. "I'm not that desperate yet… It's Daniel." She quickly closed down the computer and motioned for Nolan to follow her in exiting the room before it drew his suspicion.

"_Daniel?!" _Nolan gaped, lowering his voice as Emily gestured for him to be quiet. "I know the two of you are on good terms but really? Co-habiting already?"

"He's just staying here for a little while to handle the sale of the Manor," Emily rushed under her breath as they made their way into the foyer, simultaneous with Daniel walking in the overhead stairwell, pausing at the opening that viewed over the downstairs.

"Hey, Nolan," Daniel greeted him, a bit groggily.

"Danny…" Nolan returned, flailing his arms, a bit unsure of what to say. "Didn't realize you were staying here," he stammered. "Again." He looked back at Emily, still waiting for a more thorough explanation, but she had her head down, hoping he would just leave swiftly.

"It's a big house," Daniel added with a grin. "She's barely noticed I was here the past couple of weeks."

"_Weeks, _huh?" Nolan zeroed in on the time frame, shooting another questionable look at Emily while she folded her arms again. "Yeah, I know what you mean," he called up to Daniel. "She keeps herself busy. Even her friends don't know what she's up to…"

Emily glared at the double entendre and finally ended the exchange. "Thanks again for your _help_, Nolan… I'll see you at the courthouse tomorrow." She opened the large front door, eager to see her oft inquisitive friend out as quickly as possible.

"Sure thing," he replied with a shrug, extending an extra goodbye back to Daniel before disappearing into the night.

"Everything alright?" Daniel asked her from up above, squinting a bit, and Emily realized he must have been asleep before he emerged.

"Just… last minute details before the trial," Emily danced around the obvious, uncertain of how Daniel felt regarding it, as they had not really discussed it at length since the arraignment.

Daniel nodded in recognition. "Hopefully you're getting some rest soon. I'm sure my mother will make things interesting," he surmised, before turning to head back towards his room. He walked away slowly, thoughts going through his head as he anticipated what the women in his life had planned for the battle that waited.

Emily agreed to herself at his last comment once he was gone, taking a deep breath.

"You have no idea…"

END OF CHAPTER

**Author's Note: Hello again my favorite revengers! Hope you're excited as I am after this chapter – things are finally starting to heat up in this trial! Tell me what you think about the latest updates in Margaux/Victoria's devious plan and what you expect our "Lady Justice" Emily will do to thwart their attempts! **

**In the meantime, there's more romance brewing… seems the Hamptons have found a way to kindle some more affections for some of our main characters. How do you like the latest development with Stevie/David? Are you interested in how Jack/Louise's walk on the beach went?**

**Thank you as always for your support and fear not, there is more Demily in the works! I needed them to have a least one quickie scene together in this one, even if it was a short one. But I can promise their next interaction at the old Grayson Manor will be a particularly good one… coming soon in the next chapter! Thanks again for all your comments and reviews, they are a great joy to read and I look forward to your thoughts! ~Love and Reven8e~ MothToANewFlame**


	4. Chapter 4

**Episode 14 "Prosecution"**

**Chapter 4**

The tension was thick in the Suffolk County Courthouse, and an eerie silence attested to the concentration of all in attendance. Margaux had just concluded her questioning of David Clarke on the stand, and per Emily's insistence he had kept to every word of his deposition. Victoria wore a smirk in her seat the entire duration of his testimony, brimming with satisfaction of how favorably he portrayed her actions. Meanwhile, David remained on the stand as Stevie rose to cross-examine him, while Emily and Nolan looked on from the front row of the audience, their faces still. Jack also was present, seated on the defense side, doing his best to give off impartiality in his expression, all the while aware that his turn was approaching to join David in spinning a tale decidedly different from the truth. The selected jury watched quietly as Stevie approached David on the stand and calmly began her series of questions.

"Mr. Clarke," Stevie addressed him. "You said in your testimony that when Officer Hunter approached yourself, Ms. Thorne, and Mr. Porter, that it became clear that he was 'unstable'." She looked up from the folder that held her notes. "In what way?"

David answered without hesitation. "Well his hands were shaking, he was sweating… he wasn't composed the way an officer would be, when making an arrest. His behavior seemed more… erratic…"

Stevie nodded, thinking it over. "Is it possible the display you saw was an _emotional _response?"

David half-smiled, shrugging lightly. "I'm not a doctor by far, but… I suppose yes, it's possible."

"And what might you attribute that to-" Stevie continued, interrupting her own question. "You said he was going on about Chief Alvarez, who was later identified by the Hamptons Police Department as dead on the scene. Is it possible his emotions were heightened by having just found the body of his superior?"

"Yes," David conceded, growing nervous. "That's also possible."

"So, in your opinion, Mr. Clarke," Stevie asserted. "Is there a chance that Officer Hunter _was _intending to make a standard arrest, but was emotionally overwhelmed by the death of the police chief? Hence, giving off the appearance of being unstable?"

"Objection!" Margaux's voice interrupted the questioning, as she rose to her feet. Victoria's eyes narrowed beside her, uncertain of what Stevie was getting at. "Speculation, your honor. The witness is unable to confirm the emotional state of Officer Hunter, and has already testified to his being irrational and unhinged when he drew his weapon."

Before Judge Waters could offer a response, Stevie quickly countered. "I'm merely giving the witness an opportunity to consider other factors that may affect his view of Officer Hunter's actions—"

Judge Waters listened intently. "Sustained," she ruled, turning from Margaux, who took her seat again, to address Stevie. "Counselor, in your questioning, please be mindful of questions previously answered by the witness."

Stevie nodded, pressing her lips together firmly and continued on. Meanwhile, Emily's expression remained tense in the audience and Nolan leaned over after the quick exchange to whisper to her.

_"I thought he was sticking to the story?" _he questioned under his breath, a bit worried.

_"He is,"_ Emily responded in reference to her father, without making eye contact. _"Stevie has to keep up the appearance of accusing Victoria or it'll raise suspicion."_

_"Yeah, well… she's got some pretty solid points," _Nolan added, leaning away to refocus on the debate unfolding in front of them.

"…so you're saying Chief Alvarez was the only name that Officer Hunter mentioned when he began to threaten you and Mr. Porter?" Stevie asked, aiming an uncertain look David's way.

"Yes, that's it," he insisted, looking back at her with his own subtle sense of confusion as to why she was pushing further.

"He didn't mention anyone else, perhaps?" Stevie continued, and again Margaux was on her feet, this time in a more relaxed fashion.

"Objection – your honor, leading the witness," Margaux inserted and Judge Waters was already prepared for it.

"Sustained," she replied, and gave Stevie a wary look. "Councilor, please specify where you're going with this."

Stevie took a breath, and then looked back at David again, who stared at her in concern. She was fully aware of the adjustment they had made to how they would proceed now that Margaux held David's trump card, but a part of her was desperate to allow the truth to be heard. Yet she had agreed to follow suit and could not bring herself to compromise the man in front of her.

"Last question," Stevie continued in conclusion, and Margaux looked on suspiciously. "For the record, just before Victoria fired the shots in Officer Hunter – what, in your opinion, was he intending to do?"

David swallowed and took a breath before responding. "He intended to kill me and my—my, son-in-law, Jack Porter…" David paused to look in Emily's direction. "And Ms. Thorne."

A barely noticeable inflection of color washed over Emily's face while he spoke, as she immediately felt remorse for her father, having to alter the truth in favor of Victoria. It seemed so ironic that his honest admissions years ago would lead to his framing and imprisonment, and then send Emily on a journey to avenge him, whilst seemingly ending the same vendetta by telling a lie. While a part of her could not be sure just how intent Ben was on threatening their lives, she knew deep down inside that he was only making the arrest he had spent the entire year dreaming about. And despite Victoria's evil nature, her actions had saved her father from being crucified for a murder that nearly half of the Hamptons would have committed, had they had the opportunity. It was sheer irony how the entire outworking of events had transpired.

Stevie nodded at David's reply, closing her eyes momentarily as if to digest his final words. "No further questions, your honor," she concluded, returning to her place on the prosecution council, and awaiting for dictation of the next witness.

"Thank you counselor," Judge Waters motioned for the bailiff to approach. "Mr. Clarke you may leave the stand," she ordered, as he was escorted away. She returned her attention to the defense and spoke directly to Margaux. "Defense, call your next witness."

Margaux rose to her feet again, a hint of arrogance in her tone as she announced, "Defense calls Jack Porter."

Jack looked around nervously, as he feared the repercussions of the moment that had finally arrived, but Judge Waters interrupted. "Thank you, counselor – I believe we are concluded for the day. Proceedings for Mr. Porter's testimony will begin when this court reconvenes in one week's time at 9 am. Court is adjourned," she slammed her gavel down once and exited promptly to the left, followed by the jury who dissembled behind her.

Emily breathed a sigh of relief at the Judge's decision to postpone Jack's testimony. It bought them the time they needed to confer on their next approach, which she still had yet to fully think through. Nolan echoed her sentiments beside her as they both rose to their feet and gave each other knowing looks while the courtroom began to empty out. Emily paused to glimpse in Victoria's direction as she was taken out but she had eyes only for David, fixated on him as he approached Margaux to shake her hand.

"Your testimony is appreciated," Margaux thanked him, a devilish look in her eye. "Things always go so much smoother when the record is set straight." David squinted up cautiously, catching the allusion she was making to knowledge he now was aware she possessed about his sins. But rather than provoke her any further, he maintained his role.

"Like I said before," he commented. "I just want to see justice served." He turned and caught sight of Jack and tapped him on the shoulder briefly before moving past him towards the rear of the courtroom, without looking Nolan or Emily's way so as not to arouse suspicion.

Jack began to follow him out but Margaux stopped him before he could leave. "Oh, Jack," she called out. "I expect you'll be prepared for when you take the stand a week from today?"

"Yea, why wouldn't I be?" Jack replied with an innocent yet guarded smile.

"Just making sure," Margaux reassured him, withholding. "I know as a single parent it can be difficult to balance your responsibilities… I would hope that despite the brief delay, nothing would interfere with your presence here?" Her clever way of hinting at the obvious never failed to irritate Jack, having seen her do it countless times before, even more so with David. He glowered a bit at her reference to being a single parent, perceiving that her own situation would not put her far off in the category.

"If you're worried about me skipping town, I can assure I'll _be here_," Jack retorted flatly, growing exasperated. "And I have a close friend that can look after Carl. It's taken care of."

"Good," Margaux assessed, glancing over at Emily and Nolan who were holed up by Stevie, speaking in confidence. "Let's hope your new friend does not have the same fortune as some of your old ones, no?" She smirked curtly at Jack and gathered her items before turning to leave. "Au revoir."

Jack rolled his eyes once she was gone and stepped away to approach where his mother, Emily and Nolan were standing, now that the courtroom had all but emptied out. "Well, she obviously thinks she's already won," he greeted them quietly.

Emily turned to listen intently. "What did she say?"

Jack shrugged, resting his hands in his pockets in cavalier acceptance of the domineering women he seemed to be surrounded by. "Only that I better not get any ideas about leaving town to get out of testifying…It's obvious she knows we figured out the secret she's holding over our heads."

"Good," Emily assured him. "That's exactly what we want for now. As long as it appears that we're complying, she'll do the same." She turned her attention to Stevie questioningly. "Although today it seemed as if we started to go off track?"

Before Stevie could respond, David approached, looking around to make sure they were the only ones left in the room. "That's my actually my fault," he interjected, to which Emily looked over in confusion. He came close so he could speak in confidence with the remaining four. "I was the one who told Stevie I was prepared for the consequences if I had to tell the truth."

"Dad, what were you thinking?" Emily objected.

"Emily—" Stevie began, but David continued to respond.

"I'm thinking that I'm tired of telling lies, Amanda," he replied with a stern look, and her expression softened. "Especially when this all began from me telling the truth. Is that what this has come to? Do we have to become the people we hated to defeat them?"

Nolan slipped Emily a look of agreement and whispered, "Can't say he doesn't have a point, Ems." Naturally, Emily wasn't easily deferred.

"Look, I'm sorry it has to be this way," she admitted. "But trust me, we stick to the plan and this won't go on much longer—"

"I kept my silence today," David interrupted her, peacefully. "And I'll continue to cooperate. But this needs to end," he asserted. "And if we don't take the first step, it never will." He stared at Emily for a look of acknowledgment, but her face was still hardened. She looked down momentarily in silence until David accepted that she had nothing more to say.

He looked around at the rest of them and took his leave. "I'll see you later on," he said, placing a gentle hand on Emily's shoulder before exiting the courtroom.

She shook off the brief interchange and looked over to Stevie, who wore a sorrowful expression at the conflict she might have just caused. "Emily, my questions today were not intended to cause any problems—" she began, to which she was interrupted again.

"It's fine," Emily assured her, her mind brewing. "But I need to talk to you about something else," she requested, and Stevie nodded as they both made their way towards the exit, leaving just Jack and Nolan behind.

"Well… that was… _awkward_," Nolan assessed, turning to lean against the wooden gate that separated the audience from the rest of the court. He looked over at Jack who seemed a bit weathered by it all but ultimately un-phased. "You seem like you're holding up ok?"

Jack smiled softly. "Well my evening went well so I'm probably a little more relaxed than I should be," he offered.

"Oh that's _right,_" Nolan grinned, realizing. "How did things go with Louise? Come to think of it…She wasn't even awake this morning when I got up – don't tell me she had a love hangover?"

"Nice try," Jack shook his head, laughing a bit. "No, we just had a nice walk on the beach; she told me a little about her family…it was…" He searched for a word to describe it that didn't overindulge Nolan's intrigue. "…Pleasant," he settled on.

"Alright, that's a start. I'm glad to hear it," Nolan tried to be cool for Jack's sake. "So when are you seeing each other again?"

"Today, actually," Jack responded, quick to correct the implication. "Not like that – she left her scarf at the club I'm just bringing it back to her." He reached in his pocket, producing the delicate item in his hand.

"Oh… well, I can, pass that along to the Missus if you want me to?" Nolan prodded in mock seriousness, hoping it would get Jack to object. "Unless of course, you want to…deliver it yourself?"

Jack was ready for his taunts. "I have to stop by anyway, Nolan. She volunteered to watch Carl today so I'm headed over there to get him."

"So that's why she was sleeping in… getting in a few extra z's before playing 'Mommy' later on," Nolan feigned an adorable look of endearment as he started towards the door, with Jack walking in step with him.

"Yeah-yeah," Jack ignored him. "I can always count on you to make things weird."

"It's my specialty," Nolan grinned, as they exited, the door swinging behind them.

SCENE

Daniel took a break from writing to rest his elbows on the desk in what used to be his old study in the Manor. Emily had redecorated but continued to procure that room as one for business, and that being said, he gravitated there not only to get some writing done but also to work on finding a buyer for the house. He had spent all day researching a particular lead that had been holding his interest since his conversation with Emily, taking only one break to write down a few thoughts that came to mind for his memoirs. All in all it was productive, and he could at least report positive progress to Emily when she returned from the courthouse. His mind had only wandered to that topic momentarily, as he was certain he did not want to know the details of the proceedings. He resisted the urge to read about it on social media, although he could imagine what the public was saying. It was easier just to ignore it, and besides, it would give him and Emily something to talk about when she came in.

His thoughts were interrupted by the ring of the house phone, and after examining the number he answered, certain it was the buyer he was hoping to reach the entire day. "Hello?" he answered.

"Yes, this is he," he replied, grateful that he took the agent's advice at listing the number for the Manor for any interested buyers. It was so much more productive without having to enumerate exactly who he was and answer additional questions. He listened as the woman speaking on the other line detailed her availability.

"Certainly, that's fine," he agreed, as she requested to visit no sooner than the following week. "The owner has specified that the closing not occur for a couple of months, so that shouldn't be a problem."

He waited patiently as she consulted her schedule and agreed on a date and time for a viewing. "That sounds good," he complied, making brief notes. As the call came to an end something caught his attention. "Listen if you don't mind my asking, what accent is that?" He smiled when she answered, already expecting her response.

"Sorry, you have to forgive me, I've been a New Yorker all my life," he apologized lightly, echoing laughter from the other line. "Alright so we're all set, I'll see you then." He ended the phone call, grinning to himself. It had been a while since the promise of a deal had given him a slight thrill of excitement, and in this case he had even more reason to be hopeful, as he knew the good it could do for the potential buyer.

He thought to himself, perhaps Emily was right all along – helping out the innocent with whatever you're able _does _give you a sense of peace. A bit motivated, he suddenly had the urge to celebrate, and after closing his book and leaving it resting on the desk, he was up and out in a hurry, with a few errands in mind.

SCENE

"Oh I could just eat him _up_!" Louise gushed, lifting Carl into her arms as Jack entered the living area at her and Nolan's house. A few of Carl's toys were sprawled out onto the floor and he had one in hand, keeping him occupied while Louise nuzzled at his cheeks with her nose.

Jack smiled, watching her. "Thanks again so much for looking after him," he looked around at the room. "Sorry about the mess, he has more stuff than I do."

Louise laughed lightly. "Oh don't be silly, he can leave all that here," she assured him, making a smushed face at Carl. "He is welcome _whenever he wants_," she emphasized, saying the last few words in her own version of exaggerated baby talk. She finally put him down so he could walk over to his father, and Jack crouched on the ground to give him a kiss on the forehead before taking him by the hand.

"I almost forgot," he realized, letting go of Carl momentarily to reach into his pocket. "You left your scarf at the club." He extended said item to her, and she accepted in surprise.

"Oh aren't you the sweetest – thank you," she shook her head, setting it down on the chair beside her. "I am _notorious _for forgettin' things, I'd leave my head at home if it weren't screwed on." She smiled broadly and Jack laughed, shaking his head.

"I really had a nice time last night," he added, feeling more at ease each time he was in her company.

"Me too," she agreed enthusiastically, folding one hand over her heart. "You know, it really meant a lot to me what you said about my family… how I should let any resentment go? I think I got it into my head that I have to set things even between us, but in the end… I just want to move on with my life. I know that now."

Jack nodded; happy his words of encouragement were up building to her. "Good. I think you'll be happier that way."

"I think so too," she agreed, batting her long eyelashes. "Although I can't say it'll be easy not to get in a few digs of my own. It's hard when you live with a fellow 1-percenter who can take down just about anyone."

Jack looked upwards knowingly. "Yeah, I agree with you on that… our environment doesn't exactly lend itself towards turning the other cheek." He laughed to himself, knowing that he stood before her a hypocrite, helping Emily and David finish exacting their revenge on the Graysons while he encouraged Louise to fight the urge to seek her own. But as much as he loved his friends dearly for their stubbornness, it was nice to give that kind of noble advice to someone who would listen, for a change.

His inner sense urged him to check on Carl and he glanced quickly towards where his son was toddling back towards the play area. "I think he wants to stay here," Jack observed.

Louise turned to follow his eyesight. "Oh he can, if he wants to! Do you have somewhere you need to be?"

"No, but we should get going anyway," Jack insisted, thankful for her offer. "I need to soak up all the time with him I have, who knows how long I'll be in court for next week." He paused to jingle his truck keys in hand and then looked back up at Louise. "But thank you again for doing this…you're a good friend, Louise."

"Oh, honey… you are too," she echoed, looking at him with soft eyes.

"Alright, buddy, let's go," he called out to his son, gathering his bag over one shoulder and guiding him out towards the door with the other hand. Louise saw him out, watching from the front door as he put his son in the car seat and tickled him to get a quick squeal of laughter. She smiled to herself, admiring so much about the family before her. She began to let the door close and when it caught on something, she looked down, realizing the toy Carl had in his hand was left behind. Grabbing it, she dashed quickly outside, the fabric of her long maxi dress blowing back in the wind.

"Hold on there!" she called out, and Jack stepped back from the driver's side door where he was about to get in. She made her away around to his side and handed him Carl's toy. "Little guy is just like me I guess, he forgot this."

"Thanks," Jack laughed, tossing the toy into the front seat. "He leaves a trail wherever he goes." He shook his head and then turned back to Louise who seemed to be lingering a bit.

"I-um," she began and looked into his eyes, as if searching for approval. "I forgot something too."

Jack tilted his head in interest, and Louise seized her chance. She delicately placed both hands around his face, and leaned in to give him a brief but tender kiss. Jack's eyebrows rose slightly in surprise at the gesture but he did not resist, and as she pulled away he felt himself taking quick breaths, feeling a slight rush at the moment.

"Thanks again, Jack," Louise added once they separated, giving him one last smile before turning away, clutching her wrist as she walked back towards the house in hope that she had not overestimated his reception.

But on the contrary, Jack was only slightly stunned as he entered his car and sat for a moment before starting the engine. Instead, he had enjoyed the surprise affection, the idea having crossed his mind a few times while they were walking on the beach the night before. Carl made a noise behind him and he glanced up at the rear view mirror to see his son wearing a large smile on his face, slapping his stubby arms on his seat.

"You like her, huh, buddy?" Jack asked him rhetorically. He spoke his own response aloud before pulling away.

"Yeah, me too."

SCENE

When Emily entered her home late in the evening she barely noticed how dimmed the lights were. Exasperated from a lengthy day in court and her subsequent conversations with Stevie around their next approach, her first instinct was to remove her heels and disable the alarm, giving her little time to notice the difference in the foyer. When she finally turned to proceed through her house, she stopped short in her tracks. The entire house was dark, leave for a flicker of light coming from the living room. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion, and she walked slowly towards the source of light, her senses ever on guard to what might await her.

But once she entered the room, her fears immediately faded to surprise and delight. Before her, only a few feet from the French doors to the outside, was Daniel, seated at a candlelit table, set with two wine glasses and covered plates. Once she entered he rose from his seat, a soft grin crossing his face, and she noticed in hand he held his journal from the day before along with a single, long stemmed rose.

"What is all this?" she asked, despite suspecting the answer. She took her time walking towards him, pausing to take in the ambience, noticing more nuances as she did. Not only was the table adorned with candles and dinner settings, there was also an old photo of them stationed in the center, along with rose petals on the floor, primarily on her side. It was clear he had put attention to detail into everything and while it was easily romantically charged, something about it seemed to hold specific significance.

Daniel waited to reply, and instead extended the rose to Emily, setting his journal down on the table. "Be careful… it still has thorns," he added with a smirk, and Emily allowed herself a half smile of amusement at his play on words. She looked up again at him for an explanation but before she could ask he gestured with his eyes to where Emily had paused in step towards him. "Look at where you're standing."

She looked down and immediately made sense of it. "This is where…?"

"Yeah, I thought it would be poetic," Daniel answered her, coming around to where she stood to pull out her seat.

"Ah…thank you…I guess?" she responded, a bit awkwardly, setting down her rose on the left side of her place setting and her heels and bag on the other side of the floor. She glanced at the table, her eyes falling on the picture of them again, and fought the urge to come out and ask him what was up his sleeve. She watched as Daniel opened a bottle of champagne and poured a glass for each of them, starting with hers first. After thanking him with her eyes, she tried another question. "What exactly are we celebrating?"

Daniel smiled to himself, enjoying the suspense of making her wonder what was going on. He took his seat and arranged his dinner napkin on his lap, deciding to let her in on the secret in tandem. "Well, first – the sale of Grayson Manor, or excuse me, should I say – Chez Thorne?"

Emily laughed through her nose and shook her head at the euphemism. "You found a buyer?" she asked, taking a sip of her glass. Ordinarily she would not plow so quickly into a romantic dinner with her former husband-turned-friend but the day had exhausted her beyond normal and a relaxing moment was more than tempting.

"I did," Daniel confirmed. "And quite the deserving one. She's coming to view the property in a week or two, and if all goes well she's fine to move in within a month." He grinned happily at his achievement, taking a sip from his own glass.

"Well done," Emily admitted. "Although that reduces your deadline for your memoirs?"

Daniel nodded at her observation "Ah, well I don't think that will be a problem. You see, I've found my motivation," he reached over to hand her the journal beside them on the table and Emily opened to the first page.

"_Amends &amp; Closure_," she read, announcing the title, and her eyes flickered up to his. "This is your book?"

"Selling this house is just the first of the things I plan to do," he replied in agreement. "It's inspired me to do more. It's still going to be my memoir – but for every memory that I regret, I'm going to find someone I can help… someone who may have been hurt in the same way." He raised a finger to gesture towards the journal still in Emily's hands. "It's my way of seeking penance for everything… and it's all going into that book."

Emily swallowed, taking in his touching gesture in amazement, and finally closed the journal and returned it to him. "This is amazing, Daniel," she remarked, truly in awe of his selfless idea. "You've really found a way to purge your soul." Curiosity got the better of her and she couldn't stop from asking. "So tell me… is this dinner part of one of your amends?"

Daniel smiled at her perception. "Something like that," he agreed, and then leaned over to take hold of the framed photo of them that sat in the center of the table, tilting it so Emily could see. "This is one of the first pictures we ever took together."

"I remember," Emily nodded, looking on as he began to remove it from the frame and take out the single photo by itself.

"You're probably wondering why I set it here… what this is all about?" Daniel confirmed his notion with a curious look from Emily. "Well the truth is… ever since you asked if we could start over as friends, I've been trying to find a way to do that - a way to truly make amends. Because, as much as I care about you as a friend… I can't deny the fact that I want more than that."

Daniel paused, waiting to see if Emily would object but instead she only listened, reserving her thoughts for when he was done. He looked down again at the photo in his hands. "But of course, it's not that easy for us, considering our past. And that's when I realized… I've been trying to think of a way for the 'old' us to make it work." He held up the photo. "You know the old Danny, and the old Emily?"

Emily watched in shock as Daniel extended the corner of the photo over towards the rim of the small candle in the center of the table, allowing it to ignite while he continued speaking. "But that's not really possible… Because that Emily Thorne no longer exists," he finished, removing the photo once the flame reached up to the other corner, and tossing it into a tin pail that Emily noticed he had already placed beside them. The flame died down as the picture crumpled and turned black and charred.

"Daniel," she breathed, incredulous.

"Neither does Daniel Grayson," he continued, silencing her plea. "Oh, I may have the same name as I used to," He got up from his seat to fetch a candle topper to put out the dwindling flame in the pail, kneeling beside her until it was burnt out. He looked back up at her and finished, "But in reality the old Daniel died right here in your arms… months ago," he looked downwards to where the rose petals were scattered on the floor beside them. Still kneeling, he looked back up into Emily's eyes and completed what he yearned to say most. "And ever since then, I've been a different person… a new man. One that's in love… with Amanda Clarke."

Emily took a breath, parting her lips, but again Daniel found a way to keep her from speaking, placing a single finger to her mouth. "I don't want you to think about what this means… or what happened today on the trial… or what the future holds. I just want you to give this a chance." He peered into her eyes, bringing his face closer to hers. "One chance? I've had weeks to find out who you really are and all I can see is that no matter what your identity is…you're still the person that makes me better. And I'm still in love with you, Em."

Emily stared back at Daniel's face, warmly shadowed from the flickering candlelight, but completely sincere. His gentle eyes stared back at her with longing and despite having just renounced himself from the person he formerly was, all she could see was the man she met four years ago – the boy that was still trying to find himself. Yet to her, that was one of his most endearing qualities – a youthfulness that made him seem so pure, so innocent and so special amongst a lineage of ruthlessness. And even in the face of temptation to follow their course, Daniel had proven himself to be different, and had even found a way to look past all of her flaws, seeing her for who she truly was and loving her nonetheless.

A tear welled up in her eye as she took hold of him by the nape of his neck and pressed her lips to his, and the rush of blood thundered in her ears. With Emily it was always actions before words, but Daniel could feel by the thirst in her kiss, the fervor in her touch, and the swiftness to which she stood to her feet, pulling him to his, that she loved him too. Feeling their rapture unrelenting, Daniel pressed his legs to Emily's in order to walk her to the room beside them without separating, as she fumbled to remove his shirt before they sank to the floor. The impact of laying horizontal broke them apart momentarily, to which Daniel used it as a second chance to ensure Emily was at ease, as if waiting for her to suddenly stop without warning. But when she looked back at him there was no doubt in her eyes; instead they were lurid, reflecting the flame from the candlelight, seducing Daniel only to get closer. When he graced her neck with his lips, Emily tilted her head back in passionate release, finally letting go of her inhibitions and giving in to a desire that had been nurtured since the moment she had nearly thought she'd lost him in her arms…

END OF CHAPTER

**Author's Note: So my comments will be brief… cuz it's getting hot up in here! Whew! How did you like Daniel &amp; Emily's BIG reunion? Thoughts on the courtroom drama? And love is in the air for our new Jack/Louise pairing! Please please tell me your thoughts, I know the Demily moment has been a long time coming! Your reviews mean a lot, thank you so much for your continued support… there is MORE to come! ~Much Love and Reven8e~ MothToANewFlame**


	5. Chapter 5

**Episode 14 "Prosecution"**

**Chapter 5**

When the sunlight streamed into the master bedroom and awoke Daniel, he had to blink several times to remember where he was and how he had gotten there. Gradually, the events of the night before came fleeting back, like sight being slowly restored to a blind person, in gentle waves of light until the picture was clear. His memories of the intimacy he and Emily shared were first and were delightfully vivid. They had fallen asleep after wild abandon on the floor of Emily's living room, waking only to muster just enough energy to retire upstairs, a recollection that Daniel half-assumed as he could not picture exactly when that happened. Next, he recalled a tender moment in the middle of the night when he stirred awake to Emily staring at him, caressing his face. He vaguely recalled her whispering "I love you" and kissing him on his forehead before he fell back asleep, his lips curling into a smile before he drifted off.

His surroundings began to make more sense as he stirred and turned over, outstretching an arm to reach for Emily next to him. In a brush of déjà vu, his arm felt only an empty spot on the bed next to him, and he groaned slightly in exasperation. Slightly concerned, he sat upright, allowing the bedcovers to fall down over his bare chest and rubbed his eyes, glancing around the room. Of course, she was not in sight and for a moment Daniel shuddered at the thought he had imagined it all. But when he finally located his shorts in the bedcovers to put on and go look for her, he was pleasantly surprised to see Emily's form perched on a stool looking over the adjoining balcony, clothed loosely in his dress shirt from the night before. He stopped short in his tracks, relieved and backtracked towards the balcony, observing her long bare legs as walked over to her. He approached slowly, attempting to surprise her with an embrace from behind, but of course Emily was too keen and heard him coming.

"Good morning," she greeted once he was inches from her, turning only slightly to acknowledge him in her peripheral vision.

Daniel smiled and leaned forward to rest his chin on her shoulder. "As much as it freaks me out to wake up in my mother's old room," he began, soliciting a turned up face from Emily. "Seeing you somehow makes it worth it."

She cracked a shy smile and extended a free hand up to where his face was nestled to rub the side of his neck. She remained silent while she massaged him and Daniel closed his eyes momentarily to enjoy it, despite being anxious to hear her reaction to everything that had transpired. He had asked her just for one chance, a break from reality and consequence, and had promised they did not need to think about the future, but he knew that moment was coming. There was no escaping it once the sun rose and a new day warranted definition of what _this _was, and whether it would continue to be.

As if on cue, Emily swiveled around to face him, breaking his gentle embrace and when she did Daniel realized she had been holding something this entire time, apparently resting it on the balcony. He watched as she extended it to him – a small wooden box with a familiar insignia etched into the top cover.

"What's this?" he asked, curious.

Emily took a deep breath before answering. "This box is the story of my life for the past four years. Why I came to the Hamptons… why I fought so hard to clear my father's name and avenge his persecutors… why I created Emily Thorne." She paused to look down at the box itself. "Technically this is not the original box – Charlotte destroyed that one at the beginning of the summer." Daniel snorted and Emily shrugged, continuing. "But it's essentially everything…everything there is to know about my father's journey. And about mine."

Daniel extended his hands out gingerly to accept it from her, and then paused to look her in the eye. "Why give this to me?"

Emily turned her arm slightly as she continued to extend the box to him and Daniel finally noticed why the insignia was familiar – it matched the tattoo on her wrist. "Last night you gave us a chance to put our identities – both past and even present – behind us. But this will always be a part of who I am. As Amanda Clarke more than ever, I'm David's daughter. When I was little, my father promised to always be there for me," she used her finger to outline the precise loops on the cover of the box. "Infinity times infinity. And in my own way, I vowed to do the same..."

Daniel nodded, and peered up again at her through slightly squinted eyes, listening as she poured out her heart.

Emily continued, "It may not all make sense at once, and some of it may even change your view of me. But it's something that's important for you to know and to understand… if we're going to give this another chance."

At her last few words, Daniel felt a sudden relaxation in his heart, as if he had been holding its rhythm still the entire time she spoke and was finally allowing it to beat again. He licked his lips and with a lopsided grin, challenged her response, "So you're saying to want to give us another chance?"

Emily nodded, lifting herself off of the stool to draw closer to him, wrapping her arms around his neck, to which Daniel shifted the box onto the stool where she was sitting so he could embrace her same. She looked down and then up into his eyes, making a bold admission. "Life has taught me not to take for granted the people I love," she searched his eyes, sensing his agreement staring back at her. "I never stopped caring about you, Daniel."

Her words an immediate impetus for excitement, Daniel claimed her lips in response, squeezing her tightly beneath his arms in a passionate kiss, as they stood against the backdrop of the Hamptons sunrise. The moment became reminiscent of the previous night's desire until an interruption sounded from Daniel's stomach, grumbling in protest.

Emily broke away slowly with a gentle laugh, her eyes averting down to the noise from his belly. "Someone's hungry…"

"Hey, can you blame me?" Daniel replied quickly, rolling his eyes a bit. "We skipped dinner last night remember?"

"Sorry that was my fault…breakfast?" Emily suggested, resting an arm on his shoulder as she smirked devilishly, taking accountability for why they missed out on Daniel's elaborate dinner plan.

"Yeah, that might be good," Daniel conceded, tapping his forehead lightly against hers and turning to head towards the door way, with Emily just behind him. But after not even a few paces, he suddenly spun around and lifted Emily into his arms, securing her long stems around his waist while he returned towards the bed as she gasped in surprise.

"…After this."

SCENE

Nolan awoke to a tireless vibration coming from his phone on his night table. Perturbed, he finally fumbled around to disquiet it, barely opening his eyes to read the alert in the process. When he did, he had to do a double take to make sure what he was seeing was actually real, causing him to lurch upright in alarm.

Once dressed he made his way into the kitchen area, where Louise was already up and about, albeit in her bathrobe, looking a bit distressed while she sipped at an espresso by the kitchen counter. Her distraction became more evident once Nolan finally spoke, to which Louise nearly dropped her delicate cup, spilling espresso on the counter in the process.

"Nolan—sorry!" she replied, immediately looking for a towel to dab at the mess. "You startled me… ah, good morning."

"Morning," Nolan greeted her back, nervously. "Didn't realize you didn't hear me coming…" He handed her a towel to help with the mess and looked down at the alert on his phone again, a curious look coming over his face. "Are you alright? I – uh… I didn't hear you come in last night?"

Louise froze, a bit unnerved and tried her best to relax before clearing away the dampened towels and retrieving her cup again. "Oh…I-um… I needed to clear my head a bit last night so I went for a walk. I must've lost track of time…" She found herself securing the belt to her robe around her waist nervously before taking her cup with her outside to sit beside the pool.

Nolan followed behind, his look of curiosity now elevated to suspicion as he sat beside her, watching her closely while she stared straight ahead. "Anything I might be able to help with?" he prodded innocently.

Louise hid her lips along the rim of her cup as she brought it to her face, and then finally shook her head and set it down gingerly, looking down in her lap. "Nolan… I…" she began.

"Yes?" Nolan was growing more and more nervous by the minute.

"There's something I have to tell you…something I've been keeping from you," she finally breathed and then looked over to watch the expression on his face. When she realized he already appeared to anticipate something magnanimous coming, she tensed up. "Oh goodness, you already know?" she guessed.

He looked down, a bit ashamed. "Look, I didn't want to assume anything… it's just that I know what you've told me about the struggles you've had in the past and…you know I'm here for you, but… well, I guess I was just concerned—"

Before he could finish, Louise began shaking her head, anxious to purge herself of what she was holding onto. "No, please, you've been a saint to me, Nolan… really, the best friend I could ever imagine and it was wrong of me not to tell you this when it first started but… the truth is," she paused, and took a deep breath before looking into his eyes. "I think I'm starting to fall for Jack."

"Wait—what?" Nolan stammered in surprise, expecting a completely different confession.

"I know, I know," she admitted, thinking his surprise pertained to her admission. "I should've told you sooner… it's just that you and I knew going into this arrangement that the marriage was just a cover to protect me from my family, and… well, I know we never talked about it, but I just thought… I guess I just- " she cut herself short, remorseful."Nevermind, I'm a stupid woman. I should have just told you the truth instead of lettin' you find out like this—"

"Wait a minute," Nolan sought to straighten out what Louise was actually saying. "You wanted to tell me you have _feelings for Jack_?" he confirmed again, a bit lost.

Louise tilted her head in apology. "It's just that we've been spending time together lately, and Nolan, I can tell why you two are such good friends – he is _such _a sweet _man,_" she emphasized, reflecting to herself. "That night you had to run off to help Emily, we took a stroll on the beach, and he really opened up to me and made me feel so much better about my family's situation…"

Nolan looked off as Louise continued on, realizing that she had no idea at all what confession he was expecting to hear from, much less did she even know what had happened. When he returned his attention, he realized he had to break the news.

"…and not only that but I mean, little Carl? I just fell in love with that sweetheart," Louise was still rambling. "I know this is so strange and believe me I didn't just come around hunting for your friends, but—"

"Louise, Louise wait—" he interrupted her, first and foremost to allay her fears. "You don't have to apologize … I'm fine with you and Jack, really!"

She looked back at him and shock and her eyes began to twinkle in delight. "Really? You-you don't mind?"

"No, not at all," Nolan assured her, thinking to himself. "To be honest, I kind of pushed the idea on him a little while back," he looked at her again. "But only because I care about you and could see for myself that you two would make a great match."

"Oh good lord, what a relief," Louise exhaled, giving Nolan a generous hug. Her head perched over his shoulder she vented, "I was so worried about your reaction; it's had me in a fit all morning."

"I can imagine," Nolan echoed, his countenance beginning to drop again. "But—hun? There's ah… there's still something I need to tell you…"

With Nolan's announcement, Louise released her grip, pulling away to stare him in the face. "What is it?" she asked sincerely, noticing how pale Nolan had become. "Honey, you're as white as snow, what's wrong?"

He looked down at his phone and breathed deeply as he delivered the news. "I don't know how to tell you this, Lou… but… your brother was found on the beach last night," he grimaced as her face dropped, and he tenderly handed her the phone so she could see the news item. "He's… he's dead."

"Oh my God!" she gasped, tears welling up in her eyes immediately, as she struggled to read the report that Nolan was so afraid to show her. "What _happened_?" she wailed.

"They… aren't sure," Nolan speculated. "They're still investigating but right now… it looks like they're ruling it a suicide."

Louise closed her eyes and covered her mouth with her hand, incredulous. She continued to shake her head in shock while Nolan watched her read the article. Again, he felt a tug of curiosity come over him and with a bit of hesitation he repeated his question from earlier. "I wasn't sure if you'd seen him when you were out last night… if you'd had a chance to talk to him?"

"No," Louise whispered, still stunned. "Not since that whole business with mama and my fortune." She thought for a moment. "I mean, he stopped by the club to talk, back when the trial had first began but that was almost two months ago—" she stopped short, looking up at Nolan with a sudden twinge of uncertainty. "Wait a minute… you don't think that-that _I_…?"

Nolan tried his best to shift in demeanor to reassure her but it was already clear he asked for a reason. As awareness hit Louise, she shook her head in disbelief and immediately rose to her feet, Nolan's phone still in hand. "Oh my goodness," she uttered, understanding. "You _do?_ You think that I had something to do with this?"

"Lou, wait—" Nolan attempted to stop her line of thinking, but her emotions were flared and she was already on a roll. She shook her head in shock and stormed back towards the house, while Nolan jumped to his feet behind her, taking hold of her arm. "Wait, Louise I didn't say that—"

"Ugh, you didn't have to!" she sighed, half turned around. "It was clear as day written all over your face! Here I am worried sick about how you'll react to me feeling for Jack, and meanwhile you've got me convicted of murder!"

"Look, the police report just said that he vanished last night and they couldn't verify the last person to speak to him," he pleaded, while she glared at him impatiently. "I just wasn't sure if you knew anything, I didn't assume the worst—"

"Oh, please," Louise rolled her eyes, shaking free of his grip. "I'm not a child, Nolan – I can tell when someone has an angle on me, my family's been accusing me of the worst my entire life. The only thing is I thought you were different from them—I thought for once my friends could be closer than family, but I can see I was wrong—" she looked down at his phone still in her hand and tossed it over her shoulder before turning around angrily, while Nolan watched as his device landed squarely in the large pool behind them.

He sighed in exasperation as she marched back into the house, pausing only slightly as she saw a shocked looking Jack Porter watching the entire ordeal as he had just arrived in the living room.

"Louise," he called out to her, but she was unable to face him, only muttered a quick "I'm sorry, Jack" and brushed past him, storming towards her room and slamming the door shut.

Jack looked back over at Nolan for an explanation as he trailed in slowly, leaning his head back in frustration at how badly that had went. "My apologies, Jack…Lifestyles of the rich and shameless," he greeted him.

Jack removed a hand from where it rested in his jacket pocket to gesture towards Louise. "So I take it she's not entertaining visitors today?"

"Not unless you brought a socket wrench to remove the massive foot from my mouth," Nolan lamented, to Jack's surprise. He looked at him sheepishly and continued. "Lyman was found dead last night."

"Her _brother, _Lyman?" Jack gaped in shock, looking sympathetically towards her room.

"Her very own," Nolan confirmed. "Which makes _me _a class-A douchebag for thinking I could push her for information, and instead now she feels like she's married to the enemy."

"Wait, wait," Jack asserted, putting his hands up in a surrender motion to clarify what he was hearing. "You _implied _that she had something to do with it? Nolan, you know what her family's like, can you imagine how that made her _feel_? How could you do that-?"

"I _know_," Nolan took his whipping, shaking his head in embarrassment. "I shouldn't have gone there. Especially when she just finished opening up about her feelings for _you_, an admission that, in her favor, she did tell me honestly as soon as she could…" He continued to look away, still ashamed by his presumptuous actions.

"She told you that?" Jack asked, to which Nolan nodded. Jack felt a degree of ease, relieved to hear she had acknowledged their interactions, as it was something that had been on his mind also.

Nolan softened up towards his friend, hoping to avert his attention to address the other revelation. "She cares about you Jack," he admitted on her behalf. "She was worried sick about how I would feel but I told her you two had my blessing," he added with a half-grin.

Jack raised and lowered his eyebrows in response, adding, "And then you half-accused her of murder? Fratricide, at that?"

Nolan shrugged, hoping for mercy. "Not exactly husband of the year?" Jack shook his head while Nolan sighed, helpless and asked for his help. "Talk to her for me? I mean, you were with her all night—maybe she'll respond to you? Help her find it in her heart to forgive me."

Jack nodded, if only to get him to stop begging. "Alright, alright I'll talk to her, _after _she's had a moment to grieve, she needs that. But, while I'll do my best, there's just one thing Nolan," he added.

"What's that?"

Jack looked at him honestly. "I wasn't with her last night."

Nolan's face wrinkled up in confusion and a sense of curiosity returned. "You weren't?"

"No, I saw her in the afternoon when I came to pick up Carl but after that I went home," he clarified. "I was in all night, and so was my mom."

"Huh," Nolan exhaled, more as a statement than a question. "Interesting."

Jack looked at him again with concern before finally adding, "Look why don't you save the detective work for Emily, alright? I'll stop by later on," he gave him a stern look before heading back towards the front door, leaving Nolan to continue to wonder at Louise's whereabouts, despite desperately not wanting to think the worst…

SCENE

Daniel never grew tired of awaking next to Emily. Even after a blurred morning of blissful affection, intermitted by them finally making it downstairs to salvage breakfast before retiring again to the bedroom – he was content to repeat the same series of events over again until the evening came. Instead, it was late afternoon when he woke, and in contrast to the morning, Emily lay beside him on her side, her back to him. He reached over and twirled a lock of her hair that cascaded over her bare back between his fingers, and to his surprise she turned to face him, also awake.

"Is it me," he whispered when her eyes met his. "Or are you more... _athletic_ then I remember?" He squinted up while he searched for the right word.

Emily laughed through her nose. "It's you," she replied, a hint of softness in her usual dry response. When he laughed in return she placed a flexed hand on the pillow they shared and added, "Although it's possible now that I don't have to hide my skills, I'm more relaxed with my instincts."

Daniel laughed again, slightly shaking his head. "At the risk of sounding dirty - I have to admit I wish I knew who you were sooner," he teased, to which Emily swatted him. He lifted his neck a bit to look around and sighed. "I still can't believe I'm in my _mother's_ bed."

"You know it's not actually _her_ bed, Daniel," Emily corrected him, a thought coming to mind. "We were in my _father's_ last year, if that makes you feel better?"

"Ugh, even worse," he retorted, turning his nose up and he was next to have a thought strike him.

"You're not expecting him to drop by anytime soon are you?" He shuddered at the thought of having to explain to him, although David was likely already aware that he was cohabiting with his daughter. Regardless, Daniel was certain that despite knowing about their shared living arrangement, David couldn't know they had taken that to a different level. He wondered for a moment how Emily's father would feel and just how much he knew about their past together.

Emily's assurance interrupted his train of thought. "No, I doubt it," she answered, looking downwards. "Last time we spoke we didn't exactly agree…"

Daniel recalled he had never even talked to her about the trial the day before and wondered if her reserve had to do with the proceedings. "We don't have to be awkward about the trial," he ventured, addressing the elephant in the room. "My mother is guilty. I don't expect David to do anything but tell the truth."

Emily took a breath tentatively, biting her lip in contrast. "Actually, it's the opposite," she paused to look up at him again. "I've asked my father to protect Victoria instead of telling the truth."

Daniel wrinkled up his brow in alarm. "Why ever did you do that? Ems, she's _guilty,_" he removed his hand from under the bed covers to gesture his insistence. "We all saw what happened; she killed Ben in cold blood!" He thought for a moment. "Trust me, it's not her first time – I can tell when she intends to take someone out."

Unbeknownst to Daniel, Emily too had that sixth sense for reading Victoria's intentions, especially in the past year. But rather than turn over those sensitive stones, Emily continued with the present. "Unfortunately, even though that's true, your mother also has information that she's given to Margaux to hold over my father's head unless the prosecution cooperates." She looked up at Daniel who per her expectation was now intrigued. "That information could put my father at further risk, and I have to protect him. So of course, he's upset that I'm asking him to do this for me."

"I can't say I blame him," Daniel added honestly to Emily's chagrin. He pursued despite her change in countenance. "Look, whatever he's guilty of I'm sure it _pales_ in comparison to all the things my mother's done." Emily's silence signaled her agreement but regardless, Daniel tried his hardest to relate to David, which was not difficult seeing as his offspring was a mirror image beside him. "At this point in his life, after all he's been through he just wants to tell the truth, Ems. I'm sure you can relate to that."

Emily kept her focus away from Daniel's pleading eyes but didn't ignore him. She was absorbing what he was saying but couldn't hide the fact she was just not ready to talk about it. "I do," she admitted, and her tone made it feel final, so Daniel relaxed a bit. "He isn't due back in court for a few days," she continued, changing the subject. "Until then I was hoping to get a break from it all." She glanced up at Daniel wishfully.

"I guess that's where I come in?" he guessed, rolling over on his back in defeat, realizing that Emily still had a knack for getting her way. "Alright. What do you want to do?"

She smirked at him and got up, tossing a pillow in his face. "First - get dressed," she ordered him, before heading off towards the bathroom with a grin over her shoulder. Even in her clear defiance of the wisdom of those around her, she had an attractive fieriness that made Daniel find it hard to say no to her. He grumbled under the pillow but submitted, admittedly grateful that at least her suggestion implied their next excursion would still be together. And while she wouldn't admit it right away, deep down inside Emily was looking forward to that part the most.

SCENE

"Right through here," an officer guided Margaux to the consultation room which had become a familiar surrounding for her to visit Victoria during their discussions prior to the trial. Today however, was somewhat different, as the reason for her visit related more so to outside events than the actual proceedings.

When Margaux entered the room, Victoria was already seated and looked up in relief at seeing her defender and mother of her grandchild enter the room. By now Margaux was almost a full seven months, and while she was ever the fashionista while pregnant, even her designer garb could not hide her protruding belly from view. Victoria smiled at the sight of her, and immediately extended her hands out to hold Margaux's across the table.

"How are you feeling, dear?" Victoria asked, her maternal instincts reared. "How's my grandson?"

"I'm well, Victoria – we both are," Margaux answered a bit shortly, and knew she could not mask the real intent of her visit. Victoria's perception was too sharp. "But I need to tell you something… I haven't held up to my agreement with your son."

Victoria tilted her head in confusion. "Why? Daniel's made an effort to be involved, hasn't he?"

"Yes," Margaux answered honestly, looking down in shame. "He has done everything he can to show his full willing support but the truth is," she raised her eyes to meet Victoria's dark browns. "I don't want him to."

Victoria shook her head in admonishment. "Darling, you can't keep your child from his father forever?" She straightened up in her seat, reflecting. "Please tell me you won't follow in my footsteps. I foolishly thought I could keep Charlotte from David and never have to answer for it, and I've paid dearly for that choice. The same even with Patrick, whose father was _despicable_," she spat. "Daniel is a good man, and he wants to be a good father - why do this to him?"

"Honestly?" Margaux responded, a bit embarrassed. "Jealousy." She thought for a moment. "And spite."

"What do you mean?" Victoria pried nervously. "You're not holding it against him for not being here to support me, are you? Daniel is still bitter with me over the things I've done in the past, and I accept that. I can't force him to forgive me until he's truly ready." Her expression appeared to sincerely take accountability for the distance between mother and son but Margaux's determination was unrelated.

"It's not because of that," she clarified, a bit sternly. She cringed at her own pettiness, but could hold back the truth no longer. "It's because of Emily," she admitted, an edge in her voice. She knew she could not take back what she said next.

"Emily?" Victoria seethed, anticipating.

"He is with her," Margaux finally revealed. She glanced down at her lap and then back to Victoria, watching her expression closely. "I thought it was just rumors at first, but it's been confirmed – the last few days they've been seen together, publicly. And a trusted source has disclosed that he has vacated his apartment in the city – he's been staying with Emily for weeks now."

Victoria let out a breath and closed her eyes, shaking her head slowly in indignation. "He's making a mistake, Margaux," she attempted to assure her immediately, taking hold of her hands again. "He's foolishly allowing that girl to use his sacrifice as a reason to manipulate his affections."

"I can't be sure of that," Margaux countered her. "But either way… I don't want my son anywhere near them, when he is born." She paused for emphasis. "Especially _her_."

"And he _won't_ be," Victoria asserted in return, an intense look of hatred forming in her eyes. "It's time we used what we know in our favor to finish her once and for all."

Margaux looked away and pulled her hands from Victoria's grasp, rising to her feet. She turned away from Victoria and put a hand on her hip, obviously struggling to deal with what Victoria was proposing they do.

"You know it's the only way," Victoria insisted to Margaux's back. "Emily is trying to play you," She looked down at her hands, reflecting. "Just like David tried to play me. But neither of them is to be trusted. And just because they've held up thus far doesn't mean—"

"That doesn't make it right!" Margaux interrupted, turning to face her. She leaned forward onto the table. "I don't excuse David's actions but if we do this, the cycle continues. I've seen the determination in Emily's eyes; she is never going to stop."

"She won't have a choice," Victoria allayed her softly. "It's the one thing that _will _stop her. You threaten to expose David, and I guarantee you, she will not be a problem."

Margaux took a deep breath, listening in silence as Victoria's assertion began to work on her better judgment.

"Besides," Victoria continued, driving in the final nail to the coffin. "Daniel deserves to know the truth about what happened to his father… doesn't he?"

Margaux blinked several times, unable to deny that she was right. "Alright," she finally conceded, nodding as she turned to leave the room. "I'll do it. Jack goes on the stand in less than 24 hours… by that time Emily will know how imperative it is that he cooperates – her father's life depends on it."

"Good girl," Victoria replied in approval, a sneer creeping across her face as Margaux left the room. Once gone, Victoria's heart sank as she was reminded of her son's wretched alliance with her nemesis, but a glimmer of hope remained now that Margaux was taking action with the last card they had to play. As it was an integral part of their plan she was certain that the next twenty-four hours would prove to be interesting…

END OF CHAPTER

**Author's Note: Thanks for returning for another chapter everyone! Please let me know what you thought! I was generous with the Demily for this installment since there was quite a lot of pent up tension we can assume between the two… and even though Victoria and Margaux's attempts are threatening it, I promise there will be more in store! I tried to work in parallel to some of the recent storylines on the show, although there are some specific alterations made… thanks so much for your support as always and please let me know your thoughts! Hoping to finish off the next 2 installments by the end of this week but your comments are what motivates me! Happy reading! ~Much Love and Reven8e~ MothToANewFlame**


	6. Chapter 6

**Episode 14 "Prosecution"**

**Chapter 6**

"Setting out on the open sea again?" Emily called out to her father from the dock.

She stood watching as her father worked atop a small sailboat, his most recent splurge from the reparations settlement he received after his exoneration the previous year. The sight of him pulling down the sails brought memories to mind, and for a moment Emily was able to distract herself from their last conversation and think only about the sacred years she remembered sharing with him as a child, sailing being one of her favorite activities to do together.

It was not the first time she had reminisced on the topic, as the past few days she had spent with Daniel gave her more than ample opportunities to think about her father, leading up to her eventual decision to reach out to him. It was a suggestion that Daniel had alluded to countless times while they walked along the beach, shared meals together, but most significantly when he accompanied her to visit Amanda's gravesite – something she hadn't done in quite some time. She expected Daniel's interest in her past would be renewed after gifting him the Infinity Box, but instead of consulting it personally, he preferred listening to _her_ tell him stories of the past. In particular, her friendship with her namesake and sister in identity was a story that stood out the most, and in the process of visiting her gravesite, the headstone beside it that still read 'David Clarke' was a reminder that she needed to make things right before the trial. Daniel only had to prompt her gently this morning when she awoke and she gave in without protest, leaving him to work on his novel while she sought David out at the docks.

When he turned to acknowledge her greeting, it went without saying that he was eager to move on as well. He looked up from where he was working and dropped the ropes in his hand, smiling as he approached the stern of the ship. "Yeah, well my daughter hasn't spoken to me in a few days so I had to find something to keep myself busy," he explained with a grin.

Emily was ready on the defense. "Dad, it's not that I've been avoiding you," she assured him squinting up in the sun to look at him. "I know how difficult this has been …the last thing I want to do is make you feel like you have to hide anything," she looked down again, searching for the best way to put her words. "I just think it's the only way for us to put this to an end and keep you safe."

David rubbed his hands together to wipe away excess dirt, and hoisted himself to the edge of the boat so he could climb down to the dock and stand beside her. "I understand why you want me to do this, Amanda. I never questioned that," he paused to wipe sweat off his brow and pondered for a moment. "In fact I've been thinking it over and I think it's time we move past everything Victoria has done."

Emily half shook her head at his suggestion, unconvinced. "The things that Victoria has done don't merit forgiveness, you know that," she narrowed her eyes as emotion crept into her face.

"So you'd rather me _pretend_ to have forgiven her?" David challenged his daughter, raising a good point. "Why not actually do it for real? It sure seems like you've done so with Daniel…"

"That's different," Emily clarified, shifting where she stood. "Daniel has made it clear where he stands."

"But he put you through a lot of hell first didn't he?" David countered, and an inquisitive look from Emily revealed that he had more information that she realized. "Yeah, Jack came by to help me with the boat and we talked about a few things..."

Emily rolled her eyes and looked away, mumbling under her breath, "Great, I can just imagine what you discussed—" It never ceased to amaze her how easy it was for her closest friends to remember Daniel's actions against her, despite the one year anniversary of his worst sin just passing. But she couldn't blame them for their protective spirit, especially Jack, who truthfully was the only reason she was able to remember the events at the time, and the first person she confessed to that Daniel had shot her. But as the physical wounds had healed, she found the emotional wounds faded along with them, and especially in the past months it all felt like a distant memory. She surprised herself sometimes at how little she thought about it, partially because she felt duly responsible for the massive grenade thrown into his life from the first moment she met him.

David was still in pursuit. "Why didn't you tell me what he did to you, Amanda? Were you afraid I would hate him for it?"

"Look, there are a lot of things I haven't told you," Emily rushed her response, anxious to move past the subject. "We've _all_ done things that we aren't proud of, but Daniel? Daniel is one of the few people who actually tried to atone for his actions." She stared at her father's stony expression, and gestured off into the distance. "Victoria hasn't. Killing an officer to protect you is no excuse for her to walk."

David put his head down in partial submission to her strong allegations. "Well, based on the story I told that's what she's going to do isn't it?" he asked, before beginning to turn back towards the boat.

Seeing that the conversation was quickly dissolving, Emily reached out to him. "Dad, you have to trust me. Please? I know what I'm doing," she assured him, hoping if nothing else she could get his approval, if not his full support. Though she wanted more, she had become adjusted to accepting what she could get. A thought coming to mind she continued, "We're in this together, right?"

David reluctantly let go of his concerns and acquiesced, looking back into his daughter's pleading eyes. "Right," he finally agreed. "I guess you've been fine thus far on your own… I suppose you don't need my help now either."

Emily shook her head in disagreement, but only leaned forward to wrap him in a warm hug. Nestling her head on his shoulder she whispered, "I'll always need you, Dad." And though she couldn't see his expression, she felt his smile of relief when he returned the gesture.

When she finally pulled away she felt relaxed and could sense that while he had reserves, he really did seem to have confidence in her. He squeezed her hand in assurance and then let her leave, returning to work on the boat. Before walking back down the dock, Emily added one last assertion, running on momentum.

"You'll see soon enough, I promise."

SCENE

Carl's infectious laughter rang into the playground and Louise watched contentedly while Jack pushed him back and forth on the swings. His guess had been right – a warm afternoon at the park with his adorable son was just the pick-me-up she needed in the wake of her loss. While she admittedly did not have a close relationship with Lyman, her heart ached more so at the thought of having to face her wretched family, and accept that his was a relationship permanently unreconciled alongside the rest that remained outstanding. Combined with that, the sting of the morning's exchange with Nolan remained, one that she desperately wanted to forget, as it shocked her that he could even entertain such suspicions. But truthfully in her heart she couldn't blame him; it was only a matter of time before the mysterious body count that followed her drew the skepticism of her new friends, and even she had to admit she was often shocked by her own actions at times. No doubt the hallucinations, nightmares and occasional fits of rage were compounded by the medication she was loathe to take as needed, but Louise was determined to overcome her afflictions on her own, and desperately needed to hold out hope that she _could _do it without a dependency on anyone or anything.

Time with Jack and Carl was different though, and while she felt them helping her immensely, the atmosphere never felt forced. She smiled as Jack lifted Carl out of the swing seat and let him run free to play in the sandbox, and walked back over to join her on the bench where she was watching.

"You were right," she greeted him on his return. "Being here with you two is like chicken soup for the soul, honestly." She looked over gratefully at Jack while he sat down next to her, placing an assuring hand on her knee.

"I'm glad you're feeling better," he replied. "I'm really sorry about everything."

Louise didn't respond, just shrugged slightly, trying not to burden Jack with too much of heavy emotion. To her silence, he continued to try to offer comfort, taking hold of her hand while they watched Carl play from a distance.

"I won't to try to convince you the pain will go away," he began honestly. "But over time it _will _get easier to deal with." He paused to reflect, and as he did so Louise listened intently. "When Carl's mother died two years ago. I couldn't imagine any pain being worse... until I lost my younger brother less than two months later."

Louise's bottom lip dropped in shock and she immediately turned to face Jack, placing a sympathetic hand over his. "Jack, how _dreadful_," she gaped. "How did you ever get by?"

"It was hard," he admitted, taking a moment to dial back the emotions he struggled so hard to put behind him. "At first I lashed out at those around me that I held responsible," he divulged with some regret. "But in time I moved on and the memories helped….I still have the video of me and Amanda's wedding day," he met eyes with Louise, who smiled gently at his tender admission, urging him to continue. "And I had so many amazing times with Declan…"

"What was he like?" Louise asked, wishing she could have met him herself.

Jack just shook his head, full of honor and respect for his late brother. "He was a great kid. Seriously, you couldn't find a more innocent… more _caring_… more loyal sibling than him. And he was one of the most unselfish people I knew," he added, gazing at his son playing a few feet away, who seemed to favor his uncle at times when Jack was paying close attention.

"Sounds like he took after his older brother," Louise observed, prompting Jack to look at her endearingly. She suddenly glanced off, a bit solemn. "You're lucky, you know. You have such good memories to draw on. I don't have many of those," she admitted, a bit embarrassed. "I guess that's what makes it so hard with Lyman is that… he was terrible to me? And I feel like I should be devastated but… the feelings just aren't there?" She struggled to find the words while Jack looked on, doing his best to understand her. "It makes me feel a little guilty actually," she concluded.

Jack gave her some time to digress, while doing his best not to read too far into her sentiments. While he knew Nolan was still uncertain about her whereabouts the night Lyman died, he didn't want to add to her distress by making her feel untrusted. Instead, he continued to support her feelings adding, "I know how you feel. I went through that when Amanda passed – that same day I had found out things that made me question whether I could trust her… and just like that, she was gone." He snapped his fingers symbolically, and Louise got the point, looking for him to continue. "But in the end," he went on. "I realized I still needed to grieve… no matter what I thought about her."

"How did you get through it?" Louise asked, still feeling a bit helpless.

"Ultimately my friends helped me," Jack acknowledged graciously. "Emily was one of them; while we didn't always agree, she stopped me from making a big mistake." He watched Louise's reaction, and seeing her acceptance sensed it might be a good time to endear her further. "And through it all… _Nolan_ was always there." At this she looked away, still put off by their fight, but Jack continued. "Look, I know you may feel betrayed by him right now but believe me he feels terrible, and he wants to be there for you. You should let him."

Louise smirked half-heartedly but her demeanor was calm. She shook her head slightly. "The truth is, I don't hold what Nolan did against him, I mean… I do come with my share of shaded history," she confessed, and Jack's intrigue again was drawn in. But instead of jumping at the opportunity to ask, he just let her finish. "But despite that, I think it's time we ended our marriage."

With her admission, Jack showed an apparent look of concern. "You can't trust him?"

"It's not that," she assured him. "These last few days though I just realized I don't want to live a lie anymore. I mean Nolan has been more than gracious by letting me stay and looking out for me but…" She met eyes with Jack again. "It's time I looked out for myself. Honestly, the night Lyman died? I was meeting with a lawyer to draw up divorce papers."

Jack breathed an inner sigh of relief, not realizing how much he had begun to suspect her himself and felt a bit of remorse for coming down so hard on Nolan when had all but thought the same thing just a few moments ago. But her admission was reassuring for more than one reason; he was really starting to feel comfortable with her and didn't want to have to face doubts again.

"I just feel like playing house has been fun but, the summer is almost over," Louise continued, looking to Jack for endorsement. "It had to end sometime right?" She turned to watch Carl again and at the sight of him began to open up deeper. "Besides that… I think I want a family of my own someday. A _real _one."

Jack watched admiringly as she poured her heart out and at the same time Carl toddled over to them both, a handful of dirt packed into his grubby fingers. Louise chuckled as he lathered a mud pie squarely in her hands and ran back to the play area and Jack laughed in observation. "At least you get a glimpse of what you have to look forward to," he commented, and she shook her head while Jack produced some wipes from Carl's bag and cleaned off her fingers.

"I think it's precious," she insisted.

When he had removed the last remnants of the outdoors from her hands, Jack paused and looked up at her. "You deserve it, you know—a family of your own?" he referred to her previous declaration. He gently took hold of her hand in his and she felt a slight shiver when he brought it to his lips for a soft kiss. "And I know if you tell Nolan that's how you feel – he'll understand."

Louise nodded, realizing that his sweet gesture signaled it was time she finally talked to Nolan again, and she agreed in her heart he was right.

SCENE

"Sorry for not getting back sooner, the past couple of days I've been…ah… busy," Daniel apologized on the phone to the potential buyer for the Manor, who was surprisingly more than understanding. He could never have imagined to be swept away from work for the past few days, least of all with Emily the entire time, but he had no complaints. Not only did he feel a closer bond to her, but he felt more motivated in his own journey, and after she had given in to his suggestion to repair things with her father, he was eager to continue with his book.

He had just begun to peruse the box she had given him, finding it a source of inspiration when he checked his phone and realized he still had yet to finalize scheduling for the house viewing in the next week. Wrapping up the call, he heard the double-beep alert for another incoming call and checked to see who it was, quickly recognizing the number.

"Excuse me, I'm sorry – I have to take another call, but are we all set then?" Fortunately the buyer continued to be cooperative. "Okay – thank you."

Daniel swapped over to the other call, sitting forward at the desk in Emily's study. "Margaux?" he verified, to which her thick accent confirmed on the other line.

"Daniel?" she asked, a bit surprised. "I was… hoping to speak to Emily."

"She's ah—out right now," Daniel answered nervously, and found himself rising to his feet, not sure why he suddenly felt a bit ashamed to be answering on her behalf. "Is this about the case tomorrow?" he pressed her, his interest piqued.

"I really don't think it's appropriate for me to discuss it with you," Margaux glossed over, knowing her allusion to information would only draw him in further. "Please let her know I called—"

"Margaux, wait," Daniel insisted, walking over to the study window to stare out at the sunset, hoping that she would not end their conversation so quickly. "Look I know this has all been… difficult," he fumbled, a bit uneasy. "But you can't do this forever. I don't want to get a lawyer involved in this; I just want to be a part of my son's life."

Margaux huffed, a bit surprised Daniel would even begin to threaten with legal action when her own experience at representation clearly gave her the upper hand in that regard. But instead of flaunting it in his face, she cleverly chose to dolly out enough to keep him satisfied. "We're doing well, Daniel," she confessed. "My check-up went well this week. The doctor just wants me to start getting more rest now that I'm getting closer to my due date."

"Don't you think that includes taking some time off from the trial?" Daniel suggested, glad to hear that someone besides him had advised her to take it easy.

Margaux sighed. "If that was an option, believe me, I would." Her intensity grew and she saw an opportunity to follow through on Victoria's admonition with Daniel on the line. "But things have accelerated beyond my control and it's time to see justice rendered."

Daniel challenged her with a snort. "Justice? My mother should be doing _life_ right now. Instead she's got you and David Clarke wrapped around her finger doing her dirty work for her—"

"Don't be so quick to defend Emily's _father_, Daniel," Margaux interrupted him, acknowledging that they both knew her true identity. "You have no idea what he's guilty of. Your loyalty to your self-righteous ex has clearly clouded your judgment—"

It was Daniel's turn to interrupt. "What are you talking about?" he hissed, his voice raising.

"I'm telling you this for your own good, Daniel," Margaux prefaced her declaration, attempting to placate him with the exposure to truth. "I wouldn't want you to feel betrayed when the truth comes out tomorrow."

"What truth, Margaux," Daniel continued to prod, rubbing his brow in exasperation.

"The thugs they caught for your father's murder," she began, taking her time as she slowly divulged what she knew. "They were fake– staged by Emily to cover the tracks of the real killer… David."

Daniel froze for a moment, unable to register what Margaux was actually saying. He turned around, looking back towards the desk where the box sat that Emily had given to him, full of her father's journals and her life's work to clear his name. "You're lying," he whispered.

"I have no reason to fabricate any of this," Margaux replied sternly. "After David's escape he _murdered_ Conrad. He confessed everything to Victoria – the timelines align exactly."

"I suppose she just happened to give you this information," Daniel alleged, leaning on his last shred of doubt.

"I'm the only counsel she has, Daniel," Margaux confirmed, and despite his hesitancy, she knew it was all beginning to make sense to him.

"I think I know my mother well enough to know when she's holding information over someone," Daniel countered, but Margaux was ready.

"Be that as it may," she agreed. "Emily knows this information too. And from your reaction I'm guessing it's something she has yet to disclose to you? No doubt, a part of her devious plot to destroy your entire family, while she and her father emerge unscathed."

Daniel was silent and for the first time since he had confronted Emily when he discovered her true identity, he felt a sudden twinge of betrayal. His mind raced as he slowly began to question all that they had shared in the past two months, dissecting each interaction with uncertainty as to whether she really had been playing him all along, again. As much as he had sympathized with her and still agreed that Victoria deserved to be prosecuted for her sins, it worried him that she would go to measures to protect those of the same magnitude in her father's case. Even if she felt justified, was her judgment clouded by her partiality? Or was Emily just one side of two adversaries that had both racked up an equal share of accountabilities in this war of revenge?

"Perhaps I've said too much," Margaux responded to his silence, lacking sincerity. "I should let you go."

"Yeah," he muttered, still sorting through his thoughts. He managed an abrupt goodbye before ending the call, setting the phone down on the desk while his focus remained on the box. He came around to return where he was seated and opened it again, hoping that in some way its contents would bring him confidence in his newfound relationship with Emily. He struggled to ignore Margaux's allegations, reminding himself again how deceitful his mother could be. And further, that the woman he loved today was different from the girl that beguiled him years ago during her return to the Hamptons. But for all his attempts, the seeds of doubt had already been planted, and once again he found himself at a loss for what he could believe and anxious to learn the truth...

**END OF CHAPTER**

**Author's Note: Thank you for returning again faithful readers! So yeah, things are about to take a little turn… fear not though, Demily has survived worst! But be prepared **** Are you worried? It seems like this episode saw more than just Victoria getting prosecuted, poor Louise was 'on the stand' so to speak a few times and as you can see, Daniel will have a few of his own questions for Ems when she returns. How did you like the latest update? Looking forward to your thoughts! Thanks much and stay tuned in the next installment, coming soon! PS. It will also include a preview of the next story! ~Love and Reven8e~ MothToANewFlame86**


	7. Chapter 7

**Episode 14 "Prosecution"**

**Chapter 7 (Conclusion)**

The first thing that caught Emily's attention when she returned home from visiting her father was the set of suitcases perched at the foot of the stairs, signaling her immediately that something was wrong. She looked around, noticing the eerie silence in the Manor, and her inclination was to call out for Daniel, but a noise from the upstairs signaled that he was in her bedroom and would likely not hear. She nervously closed the door behind her and made her way up the stairwell, anxious of what she was about to stumble into when she got into the room.

Once she reached the doorway she saw Daniel's figure staring out over the balcony, right where they had awoke together only days prior, and her heart sank a bit, seeing he was deep in thought. "Daniel?" she called out to him softly, hoping he would turn to face her, but he stared straight ahead, and with angst Emily made her way over to the balcony, pausing when she was but a few paces behind him.

"Daniel, what's wrong?" she asked, looking around the room for some clue as to why he would be noticeably detached from her, why his bags were packed at the foot of the stairs, why he was strangely silent for the past few seconds when she knew he heard her come in.

He didn't move, only shifted slightly, leaning over the railing of the balcony to look in the direction of her father's beach house, as he had done so many times before, particularly when he was released on house arrest and had to watch her from afar. The trigger of those uneasy memories echoed the emotions he was feeling at the moment, and rather than answer her question outright, he chose to run a parallel to that time instead. "You know, right before I was on trial for murder," he began, and Emily sighed as she anticipated the recollection coming next. "It was in this spot that I stood and watched as Jack Porter came and went from your house…I remember feeling so betrayed… so insecure… so angry with myself for trusting you."

Emily sighed and folded her arms in acceptance of the scolding that no doubt awaited her, and walked over to stand beside him as he recounted moments from the past, letting him continue.

"But despite all that," he digressed. "You know what the worst part was? It wasn't the fact that you had lied to me… or that you wanted to end things that bothered me the most." He turned ever so slightly so connect eyes with Emily and she looked back in silence. "It was admitting to myself that my mother was right. _That _was the part I hated. I hated it because I desperately wanted to prove her wrong."

Emily closed her eyes momentarily and gazed back towards the beach house in partial understanding. "What did she say to you?" she asked quietly, attributing his reflection to the only logical thing that could explain it – a recent conversation with Victoria.

Daniel half-chuckled. "I haven't spoken to her since she was arrested," he clarified. "But Margaux called me today. She told me the reason why David won't testify against my mother," he began.

"Because he murdered Conrad," Emily admitted solemnly, finishing the sentence for him. Daniel sensed in her an eagerness not to prolong things and she turned again to face him. "Yes, it's true."

Daniel kept his eyes on her. "How could you let me find out like this?" She sighed in response, tilting her head to look downwards while he continued to prod her. "After everything we've been through, how do I know I can even _trust_ you?" He continued, squinting his eyes while he emphasized the word 'trust'.

"Daniel—" Emily breathed, searching for a way to explain it, but he still had more to vent.

"Emily, I was played like a fool before, I'm _not _going to let it happen again—" he asserted, leveling a finger in her direction while she tried again to soothe him.

"_No one_ is playing you, Daniel," she interjected, growing a bit exasperated with the same old conversations. "I've done nothing but tell you the truth ever since that day you confronted me in the elevator—"

"Which you wouldn't have done, if I hadn't found out first—" Daniel alleged, getting a bit worked up himself.

"How can you say that after the past few days we've spent together?" Emily questioned him, rising to stand up straight to make her argument. "I've done nothing but let you in, I gave you my entire _life's journey_," she continued, gesturing to the Infinity Box that she observed was sitting on her bed when she entered the room.

"Yeah, all things that made you gain my trust," Daniel summarized, also rising to match her stance. "Just like the picture you showed me of your family, when I was ready to call the wedding off… or the sonogram you gave me when I was ready to end things because of Sara," he enumerated, his voice raising.

Emily looked down in slight embarrassment before defending her actions. "Daniel, I've told you time and again how wrong it was for me to have done that to you," she responded, softening. "I can't undo any of the pain I've caused. But I have been _completely _honest with you ever since you found out the truth, and I _told _you Margaux and your mother had information they were holding over our heads—"

"Yeah, you just conveniently left out the fact that it was my father's _murder_," Daniel interrupted.

"I was _going _to tell you, Daniel—" she replied sincerely, but he was undeterred.

"But you _didn't,_" he corrected her, shaking his head in amazement. "And you know what the crazy thing is, Em? I honestly could care less who was responsible!" he exclaimed, widening his eyes and gesturing in an incredulous expression. "My father was a monster, I've accepted it. He got what he deserved. My _mother _deserves to rot in prison. They ruined other people's lives and there's no excuse for it." Daniel held Emily's attention and she watched him act out his feelings, waiting for him to finish. "But what _does _bother me, is the fact that throughout this entire thing, this—this _fanatic _mission you have to atone for their actions and defend your father, you seem to have lost any conception for what's right and what's wrong—and _that _is what scares me."

He paused, allowing Emily a moment to digest what he was saying. His words were undeniably clear and his point was not without a sound basis. For all his parents had done wrong, he could not see how it justified Emily's defense of her father, who in his mind had abandoned morale to level out his own revenge for their actions. To a degree he understood the course Emily had taken to uproot his enemies, but it was clear to him that they both had gone off track in their journey and perhaps seemed no longer deserving of the justice they earned. At this point it was fair game – each side was initiating fire at the other and he had no desire to become a pawn in whatever new schemes emerged.

He took a breath and continued. "How do I know… how can I be sure…that the next move you make won't result in another casualty from this war?" he alleged. "As much as I disagree with her defense of my mother, Margaux is still having my child. How do I know it won't be her next…Or both of them?" He exhaled, his concerns finally surfacing.

"Daniel – I _swear, _I would never hurt either of them," Emily promised genuinely, and she honestly meant it, her heart searing in pity at how helpless he must have been feeling to even go there. But in his defense, she had done this – juxtaposed him between worlds because of the lies from the past, despite her efforts to expose him to the truth in the present. He was right – as long as she continued to war with his mother for the same reasons her mission began, the ones she loved had something to lose, and what's more – he could never be sure that she was ever truly being honest with him. After finding out such a weighty revelation in the light of a trial that was resuming the following day, she could not in good faith blame him for questioning her motives. Both she and Victoria were guilty as charged in that regard, even if Emily felt personally justified for doing so to protect her father. It was time that the façade come to an end, and only then would the air be cleared and both sides declare a cease-fire. But until that moment, Daniel would always wonder if Emily planned to continue with her actions unscathed, and not accept the consequences of what she had done.

He sighed at her assurance, one that he knew she could not guarantee, and closed his eyes slowly before looking back up at her with uncertainty. "I know you wouldn't do it willingly – but I can't afford to stay around to find out. This isn't just about me…"

"I'm doing everything I can to ensure their safety," Emily continued, over-talking his concerns and drawing towards him to close the gap between them. But Daniel would not be consoled, and he looked away even as she tried to comfort him with her hands on his collarbone. "I took your advice," she shared, turning his face to look at her. "I spoke to my father, and this will all be over soon. I promise you."

Daniel just shook his head, looking at her, wishing he could believe her. "The one thing about truth, Em? Is once it's out… you can't hide from it," he stated plainly, and her eyes pleaded with him in protest. He glanced towards her room. "I read everything in the box you gave me. And I honestly feel for everything you went through…I mean that. But what I saw only made it clear to me. That for you—for Amanda Clarke? This will never be over."

Daniel gently cupped Emily's chin and placed what felt like a final kiss on her lips before moving away from her to walk back into the bedroom, leaving her standing on the balcony in desertion.

"Daniel…" she called out to him, turning around to face him but standing in place. But he did not stop, only paused to lift his jacket from where it lay beside the box on her bed and walked towards the doorway. He paused once before disappearing out of it, looking back at her in sadness and Emily noticed for the first time how much she had disappointed him, and how much it was breaking his heart to have to tear himself away from her. A tear rolled down her cheek as she called out to him again, hoping fervently that his pause meant he had changed his mind. But instead, the only reply he gave her before leaving harrowed like a sharp knife piercing into her heart, turning it on its side in desperation…

"Goodbye, Em."

SCENE

"Signed… sealed… and," Nolan commentated, as he scribbled his signature on the last of the pages spread out on the kitchen counter in front of him. "Delivered." He finished the last and slid them across the table to where Louise stood, watching as he signed away the last rights to their union, bringing their brief marriage to an unexpected end.

"Thank you, darlin'," she expressed sincerely, and immediately wrapped him in a warm hug, appreciative of his cooperation with her wishes.

It was morning, and the trial was about to commence in less than an hour, but not before Louise made certain that she and Nolan made peace, in support of Jack's earnest suggestion the day before. She had approached him the previous night to clear the air, and offered him her forgiveness, to which he continued to apologize for his unfair accusations. It was in that humble moment that she openly discussed her desire to end the charade of marriage they were purporting, recognizing that they both still had gained the other as a dear friend and would continue to remain close despite no longer needing the nuptials to protect her fortune and his reputation. Thankfully, Nolan was more than understanding and he only wished to see her happy in the end, taking responsibility for his falling a bit short in that regard in recent days.

"Shall we celebrate?" Nolan proposed, reaching over to hand Louise a flute of champagne mimosa while raising his own. "We entered as man and wife, we leave—as friends," he toasted, clinking his glass against Louise's.

"To the Wonder Twins," she added in reply before they both took a sip.

Nolan finished first and continued to offer more apologies from the night before, drink still in hand. "Again, I can't emphasize enough how sorry I am for everything—my first practice at a husband left much to be desired," he admitted, glancing down at the papers. "And please don't look at these as an eviction notice – you are welcome to stay here as _long_ as you need."

"Aw, I appreciate that. And please stop apologizin' - it's in the past," Louise insisted, at peace and eager to move beyond both of their shortcomings. "You're better for the next special someone…whoever that ends up being," she added, optimistic.

"Eh, no one will ever compare to my first wife though," he countered, with a smirk. "She was a diamond in the rough."

"Ugh, a diamond who's about to be late," she sighed, glancing at the time before setting her glass down on the counter. She slid the papers together and evened them twice on the tabletop before putting them into her large handbag and preparing to leave. "I'll drop these off after I get done watching Carl today, so we shouldn't have to wait long before its official."

"Thanks, doll," Nolan replied, a slightly sad look coming over his face as he watched Louise scurry to gather her things. "Hey, would you be open to one last outing as uh…as man and wife?" he called out to her when she was a few feet closer to the door.

"What'd you have in mind?" she asked curiously, turning to look back over her shoulder.

Nolan half-shrugged, growing serious for a moment. "I mean, I know it's going be a pretty heavily stocked family affair but… I'd really like to be by your side when you go back to Savannah for the services? If you'll have me, that is," he offered.

A grateful smile crept over Louise's face and she nodded in acceptance. "That would really be kind of you, Nolan… Thank you."

He raised his glass slightly, obliged to be of support and watched as she turned to leave, noticing how much more casual her attire had become of late. He grinned in observation, attributing her sudden change to the time she was spending with Jack, and felt an inner sense of contentment in at least being responsible for helping her find someone good for her, if he could not fill the role himself.

Shortly following her departure came the arrival of Emily, and his keen intuition immediately sensed a change in her mood when she entered, decked from head to toe in all black, inclusive of dark shades and a smart sheath dress for their court attendance that morning.

"Ah… Revengers—Assemble," he quipped, giving her the once over as she entered the kitchen area. "Did I…miss a funeral?" he noted as she removed her shades and took hold of his half-drunken flute on the countertop, downing the last of its contents. Nolan watched as she finished it off and then made a face while looking at the empty glass.

"Really, Nolan?" she quizzed him instead, tasting the alcohol. "It's 8 a.m."

"Uh, _we _were celebrating," he clarified, sporting a slight attitude in his tone. "Louise and I have decided to dissolve our nuptials in favor of being just friends and allowing each other the chance to have a _real_ family." He looked down a bit sheepishly as he filled her in on the part he was less proud of that instigated the whole thing. "I have my thanatophobia and sensitivity complex –four years in the making- to thank for setting the entire thing in motion but… thankfully Louise forgave me," he explained, to no response from Emily. He continued to watch her cool demeanor, observing as she nodded stiffly and appeared to stare out into space. "From the looks of it, you could use a little celebrating yourself…" he added. "Ems, what's going on?"

She finally snapped out of her trance. "Sorry, it's just… a lot on my mind," she answered, to a knowing look from Nolan. She glanced at him and then decided to continue before he forced it out of her. "Daniel left last night."

Nolan furrowed his brow and made a slightly confused face. "As in…you sold the Manor?"

"As in… we're not seeing each other anymore," Emily clarified, bowing her head with a pained look.

"Um…run that back again, MC?" Nolan shrunk back in shock before leaning forward to verify what he just heard. "Because I thought you just said you weren't _seeing_ each other anymore, which would imply that you _were _seeing each other in the first pl—"

Emily cut him off before he could dissect her lack of confiding in him any further. "It only began a week ago," she started, hoping to settle him down. She reflected on their reunion, and brief as it had been she couldn't deny she thought it was the new beginning of something special and something real. "He came to me in honesty—he wanted to rectify everything from the past… and give us another chance."

"And you accepted?" Nolan asked, more like a statement but wishing to hear it from Emily herself.

"I care about him," she admitted, shrugging as she looked off into space again. "But," she shifted focus as she began retelling the more recent of events. "Despite my attempts to start over and be truthful with him about everything… I made the mistake of leaving a few important details out."

"Ugh," Nolan closed his eyes in exasperation. "_Please_ tell me he does not know about David killing Conrad, 'Team Victoria' does _not _need any more shareholders right now…"

"He's not interested in defending her," Emily confirmed Nolan's suspicions with her response while still showing faith in Daniel's reaction to the news. She pursed her lips as she described his stance. "He doesn't want any part of it. If anything, he's disappointed in me for continuing this war."

"Uh… tardy to the party, Danny," Nolan defended her, failing to understand. "If he knows the truth about you, he should understand _why _this war is going on."

"That's just it," Emily responded, grappling with the first glimpse of shame that she had ever experienced in her entire life. "It doesn't have to continue." She glanced back at Nolan's look of bewilderment to explain what she meant. "I cleared my father's name. And now he lives, while Conrad is dead, at his hands. He rendered his justice, without judgment. The more I continue to go after Victoria, the more I jeopardize everything we've accomplished, creating more enemies along the way – possibly resulting in more losses before this is all over."

"You're forgetting something, Ems," Nolan pointed out. "Conrad was responsible for more than just your father's downfall – he has destroyed _countless _others—"

"Yes, I know that; so does Daniel," Emily countered, growing impatient. "But now that Victoria has allied with Margaux, that information means nothing – they will come after my father with everything that they've got, and as soon as I retaliate they will go after everyone that I care about." Emily sighed realizing how much she had at stake to lose. "Jack is already at risk of perjuring himself on the stand today, and what am I supposed to do if Margaux corners him? Go after her too?"

"She's messing with the wrong Revenger," Nolan contended, with a sneer. "The b**** has it coming…"

Emily sighed, pacing as she normally did when her plans were in danger of being thwarted. "That's exactly what Daniel is worried about, Nolan – she's still the mother of his child," she chided him.

"Who, if she took a break from playing 'Murder She Wrote', would praise David for eliminating the monster _who shredded her father into pieces _by pushing him into a helicopter blade," Nolan observed, becoming more and more exasperated at the endless trail of ignorance that seemed to follow Victoria's followers like a shadow.

"It's too late to try to appease Margaux with that," Emily overrode his mention of the detail. "She knows that we're desperate – she's the one who told Daniel about what really happened to Conrad."

Nolan rolled his eyes. "Cheap shot," he grunted, looking over at Emily who again rested her hands on the countertop and was staring intently, clearly mulling over what their only options left were. Despite her consistent ability to maintain focus, he knew that Margaux's revelation to Daniel had to have triggered their breakup and despite it being a fresh reunion, he knew how much she cared for him. "Hey… you alright?" he asked, genuinely, addressing her feelings for the first time.

"I will be," she nodded, rearing her firm exterior as she was trained to.

Nolan sighed in finality, glancing at the timepiece that signaled their departure to the courthouse was imminent. "Look… I know how you're feeling right now. I don't want us to lose, not when we're this close to the end," he looked over at her for an answer. "Jack takes the stand in half an hour… what are we going to do?"

Emily breathed slowly, looking over to her friend with a sense of clarity and indignation that he had never quite seen come over her face.

"There's only one thing that can bring a stop to this."

SCENE

When Judge Waters entered the courtroom, the audience appeared more packed than usual. Both the sides for the defense and the prosecution were full to capacity, and while Margaux appeared confident with Victoria by her side, Stevie also appeared fully poised as she stood at attention for the prosecution. Jack and David had a diagonal view of her from the seating behind the defense and both looked up as Nolan made his way in before the bailiff finally closed the doors, and stood at the back rather than try to scavenger a seat. David glanced nervously around for Emily but did not see her follow behind him and while he looked over for Jack's reaction, he could see his would-be son-in-law also appeared anxious, though he couldn't be sure which worried him more – Emily not being there or the testimony he was about to give.

The time to contemplate that was short, as Judge Waters immediately got to the business at hand, and sounded her gavel to signal all to take their seats. Within seconds she was recalling the previous announcement she made at the last commencement of the trial proceedings, when Stevie rose from behind the bench and suddenly approached.

"Your Honor, permission to approach the bench?" she asked, and Judge Waters allowed it. Margaux and Victoria looked on curiously as Stevie whispered briefly to her and David took advantage of the aside to whisper quietly to Jack.

_"Have you seen Emily?"_ he asked, using her preferred name not only for Jack's sake, but also so as not to attract attention from those sitting near him.

"_No, I thought she'd be with Nolan_,_" _Jack replied, growing concerned. His attention was short-lived as the Judge again silenced the room with her gavel to make an announcement.

"Good Morning, Counselors," she addressed both Margaux and Stevie, who had returned to the prosecution side to await her instruction. "Before today's session begins I have received notice from the prosecution to call a rebuttal witness in response to the testimony made by Mr. David Clarke during our last session. The witness has come forward to call into question the reliability of testimony and under such circumstances I will allow the witness to take the stand prior to the defense's questioning of Jack Porter."

"But your Honor-!" Margaux immediately exclaimed, jumping to her feet in protest.

"That is my ruling," Judge Waters cut her short, glaring pointedly in her direction, and Margaux backed off, breathing heavily in distress as she looked over at Stevie, and then to comfort Victoria beside her, who also seemed rattled at the sudden change. "Counsel for the Prosecution?" Judge Waters addressed Stevie.

"Yes, your Honor?"

"I will allow this rebuttal witness to take the stand under the assumption that you will allow the defense lee way with their own questioning as they have not had a chance to depose the witness. Is that understood?"

"Understood, your Honor," Stevie confirmed, and with the slightest hint of guile, she sneered in Victoria's direction before uttering the next few words in the direction of the jury. "For the benefit of all present, the Prosecution calls to the stand a rebuttal witness, who will state her name for the court upon entry—Bailiff?" she ordered.

The doors to Suffolk County Courthouse swung open and Emily entered, dressed impeccably in all black, her hair neatly tied off of her face in a bun and shades covering her eyes. She removed her sunglasses and walked past the familiar faces of Nolan and her father in the audience, and lastly Jack who was rising to his feet in protest as she neared him. She paused only briefly to meet eyes with him, but continued forward, approaching the bailiff, who was prepared to swear her in as a witness.

"Raise your right hand," the bailiff commanded her, to which she complied, placing her left on the book he had extended. "Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?"

"I do," Emily responded with little hesitation, her eyes narrowing a bit.

"State your name for the prosecution, please," the bailiff continued, and nearby a stenographer leaned forward in anticipation.

Parting her lips, Emily took a deep breath and finally announced: "Amanda Clarke."

A unanimous gasp was heard throughout the courthouse as already curious onlookers rose to their feet and reporters flashed cameras in the background. Judge Waters immediately slammed her gavel down, yelling "Order! Order!" Emily remained ignorant of the mayhem around her as she stepped forward and took a seat on the witness stand, holding her head high to face the rest of the courtroom…

END OF EPISODE

**Author's Note: And so the TRUTH IS OUT… again! And with it, this episode ends, Revengers! I did my best to follow the show's formula of completing the flash forward from the beginning with seamless transition at the very end of the story. Hope you like a bit of a cliffhanger! ;) To see where Emily's revelation takes us next and to find out if her and Daniel will be able to reconcile again, PLEASE stay tuned for the next installment "Exposure" which will be my version of the events that follow. I'm promising a really good part 2 of this segment :) I hope you enjoyed and please sound off in the comments on what you liked and what you look forward to! Your reviews mean so much to me! I will be posting another Author's Note soon with a link to the new story and a summary for your fanfic appetite. Thanks again as always! ~Love and Reven8e!~ MothToANewFlame**


	8. Author's Note: Next Story

**Author's Note: **

**Just a friendly reminder to all followers of this story, please check out the sequel that just got posted today – Alternate Episode 15 Exposure! Here is the synopsis below:**

Emily's revelation derails Margaux's defense of Victoria, leading to more secrets being revealed and other disastrous consequences. Louise's attachment to Carl pressures Jack into a commitment. Daniel decides to alter the direction of his memoirs, and an old rival makes a return to the Hamptons.

**Follow Link: **** s/11174062/1/Revenge-Season-4-Alternate-Episode-15-Exposure**

**The first chapter is up, check it out and let me know your thoughts! Thank you so much for your continued support, your reviews and PM's are thoroughly appreciated! **

**~ Love and Reven8e ~**

**MothToANewFlame**


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